HAMDEN -- A tax increase for 2012-13 is inevitable.
At a meeting of the Legislative Council Monday night, Chief Administrative Officer Curt Balzano Leng reported that Mayor Scott D. Jackson and he are on the "19th cut" of the proposed budget, which Jackson will present to the council on March 15.
Leng said that between  department requests, increases in medical self-insurance and needing to reserve a "reasonable amount" for the severely underfunded pension fund, there was a "minimum of $25 million" requested in the original budget calculations.
That would mean taxes would go up 6 mills, but folks ... don't get nervous... you won't see that number.
Leng said town officials are doing what they can to reduce the figure. "A lot of things are on the table. Potential department reorganizations, various ways to reduce medical self-insurance and a variety of pension solutions in order to get a sound budget that stabilizes finances without overtaxing residents."
Also Monday night, residents of southern Hamden returned to the council to keep their needs front and center. Residents who live on streets from Mill Rock Road to Goodrich Street attended for the second month to tell council members they need help on their streets. From potholes to bad sidewalks, to blight, they want town officials to pay attention.
"My street floods terribly. The sidwalks are busted up," said Norma Gorham of 331 Mill Rock Road.
Gloria Faber said she was concerned about who owns the land behind the Mill  Rock condos because it is eroding. She also complained that it doesn't seem as if the cars belonging to visitors of the ball field across the street from her condo get parking tickets, yet she got one.
Other residents made other comments and Councilwoman Kath Schomaker, D-5, said that she has kept track of what they and others said during a recent visit to the neighborhood. She forwarded that list to Leng, who also said that the town has gotten some work done in the neighborhood, but more has to be done.