The Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation adopted a budget of $48,385,128 on April 28.

There's no mill rate increase.

This podcast has clips from the end of the meeting, including statements from BOAT chairman Jeff Polis on what the budget accomplishes, and a statement from Derby Town Clerk Marc Garofalo on how the board worked through a highly unusual budget season.

Citing a lack of progress and a lack of staff in its finance department, an advisory commission could recommend the City of Derby be placed under the watch of the state's Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB).

The city already meets regularly with the Municipal Finance Advisory Council, but that's only advisory -- MARB has teeth.

The move to MARB would put Derby finances under some degree of official state oversight. Example: cities designated as "tier II" must have budget projections on state aid and property tax revenues approved by MARB.

Thomas Hennick, the public education officer for the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, returns to the podcast to offer his informed opinions on a bunch or real-world open government issues faced by Valley Indy reporter Eugene Driscoll.

Enjoy!

Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan was willing to allocate more money for education in his budget but wanted to tie funding to academic performance, according to statements made at the Tuesday, April 5 meeting of the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation.

In addition, a $1 million increase in medical insurance costs for the school district precluded additional funding from the city because the mayor had capped all department increases to no more than 2.5 percent.

Jim Gildea, chairman of the Derby Board of Education, said the administration’s reasoning does not make sense.