Mayor presents 2025–26 budget with 2.6% increase; public hearing highlights education, revaluation, sewer and fire funding

Mayor (West Haven) presented a proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget at a special public hearing April 3 at West Haven High School, telling residents the plan represents a 2.6% increase from the current budget and includes investments in education, public safety, infrastructure and debt reduction. "Our finances as we stand today, we will be ending with a $2,000,000 surplus and this year it's building our fund balance . . . to an unprecedented $21,000,000," the mayor said, adding the administration recovered a $1,000,000 insurance claim and secured multiple grant awards.

The hearing drew city officials, school leaders, fire commissioners and scores of residents who both praised recent fiscal improvements and pressed the council to protect education funding and address long‑standing infrastructure problems. The mayor and the board of education superintendent framed the contested items: the mayor described how audit work and restructuring improved the city’s credit profile and finances, and the superintendent warned that further cuts to the school budget would hurt student services.

Why this matters: The hearing is the formal public comment step in the city’s charter process before the council deliberates and sets a final mill rate. The budget affects tax bills after a statewide revaluation that many residents said sharply raised assessed values and, for some homeowners, their tax burden despite a lower mill rate.

Mayor’s overview and budget drivers

The mayor described the administration’s financial work since taking office, telling the council that the city delivered overdue audits for 2022–24, cleared material weaknesses cited by auditors, and earned three credit‑rating upgrades (two from Standard & Poor’s and one from Moody’s). She said $10,000,000 in new grants is already in use, and listed specific awards and uses: $2,000,000 for boardwalk and beach upgrades, $1,700,000 to convert Malloy School into a community center, $800,000 for coastal resiliency, and $1,800,000 for neighborhood upgrades around the VA. The mayor also said the city finalized the sale of North End Field to the University of New Haven for $500,000; because UNH is a nontaxable entity, the city will receive 66¢ on the dollar in lieu‑of‑tax payments.

On the overall 2.6% increase, the mayor broke the driver categories into five parts: Board of Education funding, salaries, health care (a fixed cost tied to state rates), debt service, and operations. She said the Board of Education initially requested a $3.4 million increase; the mayor reduced that to $1.8 million in her recommended budget. "I believe the 2026 budget before you is a responsible budget that makes investments we are required to make and catch up on our debt," she said.

Salaries and staffing changes

The mayor said 98.5% of the city’s salary increases are contractual and that no union employee received more than a 2.5% raise under existing agreements. To address recruitment and technical needs, the recommended budget adds a chief operations officer (to oversee IT, online upgrades and capital projects), two part‑time constables for parking enforcement, and a part‑time receptionist for animal control, while eliminating two other positions (including a grants director) to offset costs.

Board of Education position

Emilio Caballero, superintendent of West Haven public schools, thanked the administration for the proposed increase and described the school district’s drivers: salaries, health benefits, transportation contracts and special‑education costs. "We can operate effectively with the mayor's proposal," Caballero said, while warning that larger cuts would have a negative impact and urging the council to monitor pending state actions that could change special‑education funding.

Public comments: education, reinvestment and market revaluation

Several residents and education representatives spoke in support of sustained or increased school funding. Kristen Mulloy Scanlon, president of the West Haven Federation of Teachers and School Nurses, urged the council not to reduce the mayor’s $1.8 million increase and warned that unfilled positions and larger class sizes would affect student services. "I hope the city council will not reduce the mayor's proposed increase of an additional 1,800,000," Scanlon said.

Multiple speakers also framed the effect of the state‑mandated revaluation. The mayor explained that average home sales in West Haven rose roughly 56% since the last revaluation and noted that commercial sales did not rise at the same rate, increasing residential assessments in the grand list. She said it requires about $4,000,000 in revenue to reduce one mill on the tax rate and that the city is seeking additional state pilot payments to offset nontaxable property.

Fire department and independent fire districts

Representatives from the Allentown Fire Commission and West Haven Fire Department urged approval of the fire district’s operating request and highlighted grant‑funded improvements. Aras Diaz, speaking for the Allentown fire commission, said the proposed plan reduces the Allentown mill from 11.32 to 8.43 and aims for a target of 8 mills after additional savings. Chief Terenzio (West Haven Fire Department Allentown) said FEMA and ARPA funds enabled equipment purchases and facility work; he outlined proposed uses including personal protective equipment washers/dryers, an annex to protect equipment from the elements, dormitory modifications and expanded prevention and inspection activity. "We request you review and approval of this budget," the chief said.

Sewer treatment plant and neighborhood concerns

Kathy Hubert, president of the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association, urged the council to use capital funds included in the proposed budget to repair the city’s sewage‑treatment facilities and pumping stations, noting the city currently trucks processed sewage to another town and that nearby facilities will reach capacity within about a year. She welcomed the inclusion of incinerator repair money in the capital plan and asked that nearby residents be included early in planning, calling the situation "a crisis waiting to happen."

Other public concerns and requests

Residents also asked for better two‑way communication with city officials, cited inconsistencies they found when comparing budget pages, and urged tighter oversight of city vehicle use. One speaker suggested phasing in any tax increases to reduce immediate household impact.

Process and next steps

The mayor reiterated that the recommendation is an initial submission required by charter and that numbers may change as negotiations and business deals are finalized. The mayor and superintendent said they will continue to meet with department heads and the council over the coming weeks. The administration provided a timeline with upcoming independent fire district public hearings: Center District on May 6 and West Shore on May 24. Council deliberations and any amendments will occur in the weeks that follow before the council adopts a final budget and the electorate’s referendum rights under the city charter apply.

Ending

The hearing brought forward the central choices the council must resolve: how to balance contractual salary and health‑care obligations, the district’s special‑education and transportation costs, capital repairs for sewer and public‑safety infrastructure, and how to mitigate the local tax impact of a state‑mandated revaluation. The council will accept written comments, continue departmental briefings and schedule budget deliberations ahead of its statutory deadlines.