At the start of the month, the mayor of Middletown released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-16, which includes increases in services provided to city residents.
Mayor Dan Drew's proposed budget increases services without the need to raise taxes. The proposed spending amounts to a little over $148.2m in spending, which is only $5m more than the previous year's budget.
As surprising as that small increase may be, the news gets even better for locals: the extra spending is offset by funding increases from the state and federal government and local industry. The mayor credits shrewd budgeting and the city’s pursuit of aggressive economic development for Middletown’s improved fiscal situation. He pointed to the new WinWholesale distribution center as an example of this.
Each year, the city puts together promotional material to send to leaflet and brochure printers to advertise Middletown to perspective residents and businesses. Low taxes, along with well-funded public schools and other services, are among the most impressive items that can be included this year.
This year’s budget fulfills all of the Middletown Board of Education’s funding requests, something the city has not been able to do in the past eight years. The increase of 3.02% funding over the present fiscal year will enable the board to address class size by hiring more teachers.
