Mayor 'Dead Set' Against Letting Future Revenues Halt Current Projects

Despite a debate that spanned two meetings, it’s going to be business as usual for infrastructure improvements in Darien next fiscal year. 

The Administrative/Finance Committee of the Whole voted 4-3 Tuesday to pursue all the capital projects that were originally proposed in the draft 2013 budget.

Mayor Kathleen Weaver opposed any cuts to capital projects in her opening statements. For more than two decades, she said the city has prioritized maintenance projects when constructing the budget.

“Now we’re being asked to look at a philosophy of having revenues drive our infrastructure repairs, and I am dead set against that philosophy,” she said.

Ward 7 Alderman Halil Avci spoke at length at last week’s budget meeting about  to preserve a higher balance in the capital projects fund.

“The issue is (the spending) is not sustainable,” Avci said at that meeting.

The draft fiscal year 2013 budget includes capital projects expenditures of about $3.2 million, with revenues of $4.2 million. The ending fund balance is projected to be about $2.8 million.

By 2015, the city projects in the budget that declining revenues will leave it with a capital projects fund balance of about $268,000. 

Avci suggested trimming 2013 capital funds expenditures by $1.8 million—the amount the city anticipates it will receive if at Cass Avenue and Plainfield Road.

Ward 5 Alderman Joe Marchese argued that delaying infrastructure repairs could prove costly in the long run.

“I truly believe that if you put off roads or you put off ditches or you put off some of them you’re going to find yourself in a position where somewhere down the line you’re going to have more issues, higher costs and the possibility you might not be able to get everything fixed,” he said.

Marchese suggested passing the budget as-is and following up after the city concludes its talks with a close examination of how to generate more revenue in the future.

Treasurer Michael Coren said the decision on completing capital projects wasn’t an all-or-nothing proposition.

“I think what (Avci) is indicating is we really need to look at this on a longer term basis,” he said. “It’s disingenuous to say let’s kick the can down the road and then deal with it later. It’s not fair to residents.”

Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac developed two alternative capital projects lists for Tuesday’s meeting: one that slashed expenditures by $1 million and one that included $500,000 in cuts. The alternative proposals, however, ended up being moot after the council voted to complete all the projects.

Ward 1 Alderman Ted Schauer, Ward 2 Alderman Tina Beilke and Ward 3 Alderman John Poteraske joined Marchese in voting to complete the original slate of capital projects.

The city is scheduled to hold a public hearing about the budget immediately before the April 2 at . Barring any unforeseen events at that hearing, the council will vote to adopt the budget at the meeting later that evening.