West Haven council approves reduced bond authorization after questions about school fund reallocation

The West Haven City Council on Jan. 27 approved an amended bond ordinance authorizing $12,450,900 in bonds, plus financing costs, to reimburse and fund capital projects from the 2023–24 fiscal year and to permit temporary borrowings for those purposes. The finance committee and the full council passed the amended amount by voice vote after a caucus and additional discussion.

The ordinance matters because it allows the city to replenish cash already spent on capital projects and to go to market for borrowing in March if conditions are favorable. Finance Director Michael Gormeny said the ordinance is “really just an ordinance authorizing us to go out and borrow for the fiscal year 2023, 2024 projects,” and noted the council previously approved the underlying budgets.

Councilors spent most of the discussion on a separate but related issue: whether to reallocate funds that the Board of Education had designated for school repairs (including doors and windows) toward technology purchases such as student laptops. Bond counsel Michael Andriana told the council that if a newly prioritized project is approved for bonding, “you could reallocate those proceeds to the new project.” Gormeny and financial adviser Bill Lindsey explained the city typically borrows in two phases and that some 2023–24 projects need reimbursement now while 2024–25 borrowing could wait until late 2025.

Several councilors requested more documentation and direct input from Superintendent Neil Cavallaro and Board of Education members before approving any redesignation that would shift money away from facilities work. Councilwoman Catherine Tucker said she wanted “more certainty” that windows, doors and flooring work would not be left undone if funds were redirected.

A public commenter, identified as Apollitary Balteri, raised concerns about reliance on school-issued Chromebooks and the environmental and educational consequences of rapid device replacement; her remarks were cited during council discussion as community context for the reallocation debate.

The finance committee initially considered a larger authorization that incorporated 2024–25 appropriations; after a caucus the committee amended the ordinance to the $12,450,900 figure and reported a unanimous favorable recommendation. The council then approved the amended bond ordinance by voice vote and recorded that “motion carries.”

Council members and city staff said they expect to return to the question of 2024–25 reallocation with additional information from the Board of Education and administration before the next borrowing tranche is taken up. Bond counsel noted that if projects later receive council approval for bonding, proceeds already issued for other purposes can be redirected to those approved projects through a subsequent action.