WALLINGFORD, CT — The Wallingford Town Council voted Wednesday night to override Mayor William Dickinson Jr.’s veto and restore its approved budget for 2023-24.
Seven votes were needed to overturn the veto, and the council voted 7-0 following a motion by Democratic Councilor Jason Zandri. Republicans Craig Fishbein and Autumn Allinson were absent from Wednesday’s special meeting.
The council’s budget, which was recently approved by a 6-3 vote, carries a slight tax increase but reduced the increase proposed by Dickinson in his budget. Dickinson proposed an increase in the tax rate of .83 mills, while the council reduced it to .30 mills.
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Dickinson recently notified the council that he was vetoing the budget, which was the fourth straight year that he has vetoed the budget approved by the council.
Dickinson cited the council’s increase of reserve funds and use of ARPA money as reasons for the veto. The council increased the use of the town’s fund balance by $1.5 million from Dickinson’s proposed $6.4 million to $7.9 million.
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The council attained the reduced tax rate following a series of motions and amendments proposed by Republican Councilor Christina Tatta.
“The original set up of the changes for the budget for the council’s amendment came from a lot of hard ground work, as it has always been over the past few years,” Zandri said while introducing his motion. “Councilor Tatta put together a huge laundry list of changes and adjustments. A lot of which were all contained within the budget itself.”
Zandri noted that Tatta originally proposed using $2.9 million from the fund balance, and Democratic Councilor Vincent Testa came up with a comprise of $1.5 million to try and cushion the probability of a veto.
“Over the past four years, I feel like a lot of what we have done up here together as a group, contentious as items may have been at times, has come with some decent compromise,” Zandri said.
Zandri said Dickinson’s original budget came with a tax increase of $158 for the average household, while the council’s budget cut that down to $57. He also said the council’s budget provides additional services and equipment to the police and fire departments, and EMS.
The council budget also added $150,000 for uptown/downtown area sidewalk improvements, and restored some money to the Board of Education’s spending, according to Zandri. The restored education spending included $130,000 for Pond Hill Elementary School’s gymnasium floor, $80,000 for renovations of the ball fields at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, and $80,000 for Dag’s back gym floor, Zandri said.
“I really think that when we look at everything we’ve been standing for the past four years, this deserves our support tonight,” Zandri said.
Tatta, who originally voted against the council’s budget along with Fishbein and Allinson, said she voted no last week after “much, much deliberation.” Tatta said she thought the package she proposed was good and supported by a lot of the council, but she did recognize Testa’s amendment to try and avoid a veto.
Tatta said she was upset they weren’t able to get to a zero tax increase, but “I also recognize that the council tried for a compromise.”
“I truly appreciate the bipartisan support that it garnered,” Tatta said. “Really the options now at this point since the zero tax increase is off the table, are the mayor’s proposed budget with higher taxes and fewer services than what is in the council’s budget.”
Tatta said she would be voting “on the side of lower taxes and more services and voting to override the veto.”
Democratic Councilor Sam Carmody said “this is a compromise budget and it makes me proud to see this council work together to find common ground for the good of Wallingford.”
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