City residents and employees spoke out against proposed budget cuts during Monday’s City Council meeting, and one alderman proposed a series of budget amendments that would swap out projects in the Capital Improvement budget and shift funding to reduce the proposed mill rate increase.
Resident JoAnn Martin referred to proposed cuts ranging up to 5 percent as a “slash-and-burn strategy” with little foresight.
“Many of the cuts in the budget are not sustainable and will just result in the department’s going over their budget,” she said. “We need an overall strategy not just a slash-and-burn strategy.” ... At the four and five percent reduction, one fire inspector would be eliminated. Fire Chief Ken Scandariato and Norwich Fire Department Captain Mike Dziavit, as well as several residents, spoke against the reduction, which they said would reduce the department’s efficiency by 33 percent. The fire officials said reducing staff would risk the safety of the city.
“You can’t do more with less, you can only do less with less,” Dziavit said.