Weiss Asks 2-Mill Hike in Tax Rate

\ \ \ MANCHESTER FOCUS CONNECTICUT WEATHER DeQuattro to receive I I Atmosphere a treat 11 O’Neill to protect Clear skies tonight; ‘M’ Award for 1985 I I at MCC’s $3 lunches 11‘rainy day’ surplus mild on Wednesday ... page 11 ... p a g e ? ... page 3 ... page 2 iia n rte a lrr U m i h Manchester, Conn. — A City of VVillage / . l l r ^ /“a va Charmi-s ra a* aw — Tuesday, March 19, 1985 — Single copy. 25C: Housing starts Weiss asks decline 2-mill hike By Denis G. GulIno United Press International WASHINGTON - Housing starts fell 11 percent in February, in tax rate an unexpected decline that was the largest setback in nearly a year, the Commerce Department said By Alex GIrelll today. Herald Reporter Text of W e is s ’s The drop returned the pace of new housing to about what it has Manchester General Manager' budget message been since July while not quite Robert B. Weiss has recommended wiping out January's 12.9 percent a General Fund budget which — see page 20 jump. would require a tax increase of 1.99 The February figure translates mills for the fiscal year beginning into an annual rate of housing The directors received copies of July 1. starts of 1.638 million after sea the General Fund budget recom His recommendation to the sonal adjustment. Board of Directors, made public at mendation Monday and will begin Most analysts expected a surge a press conference this morning, their deliberations on it March 30. in February, based on past gains in Last May, when the directors calls for a budget of $45,655,122. building permits and the apparent That figure represents an increase adopted the budget for the 1984-85 optimism of builders based on of $3,912,079 — or 9.3 percent — fiscal year, they cut $284,391 from sales. But now it seems the over the budget adopted for the Weiss’s recommendation of optimism was short liv«d. current fiscal year. $42,027,434. The National Association of In his budget message for fiscal To support the proposed expen Home Builders reports its latest ditures, Weiss proposes a tax rate 1985-86, Weiss called attention to monthly survey of builders in the fact that he had included of 45.29 mills, compared with the March shows “ expectations have federal revenue-sharing funds for current mill rate of 43,30 mills. changed very much," according to the entire fiscal year. He said the That would translate to $45.29 in association qponomist Michael Su- decision to do so was based on taxes for each $1,000 in assessed michrast. The fact that mortgage information from the Connecticut property value. rates stopped dropping and poten At the press conference in the Conference of Municipalities, the tial buyers slowed down their Municipal Building, Weiss said National League of Cities and the shopping tours have cast a shadow that he has not included in his state's Congressional delegation. on what was expected to be a estimate the revenues from Gov. He said he will continue to strong spring for the industry, he monitor developments on adjust William O’Neill's latest proposal indicated. ments to or elimination of federal for state revenue sharing. If The 11 percent decline in permits implemented, it would give the revenue-sharing. Eliminating for February was the steepest drop revenue-sharing has been pro town about $425,000. since March of last year. Weiss said that at this time it posed by the president. Building permits were down 4.65 would be speculative to count on In addition to the General Fund percent. the funds. budget, Weiss has recommended a Last year builders started 1.7495 He also said that by the time the budget for the town Fire District million new houses, 2.7 percent that calls for expenditures of Board of Directors acts on the ahead of 1983. But the latest figures budget, he may recommend as $3,578,515. That represents an suggest 1985 will have a hard time suming a 99-percent tax-collection increase of $246,259 — or 7.4 improving on 1984. rate instead of the 98.5 percent now percent — over the budget that was The month’s decline was most in his recommendation. The tax- adopted for the current year. pronounced for multi-family Weiss recommends a .17-mill collection rate through February apartments, down 33.4 percent increase for taxpayers who live in was 98.7 percent. after soaring 49 percent in the Town fire district. The current If the added state money comes January. rate for town fire coverage, paid in through and the rate of tax Single family starts were up 5.3 collection is increased, he said his addition to General Fund levies, is percent, reversing their January 6.19 mills. recommended tax increase may decline. drop below the 1,99 mills. Those who live in the Eighth "This year will be lower than last On the revenue side of the District do not pay the fire district year, by at least 100,000 units,” tax. They pay fire taxes directly to budget. Weiss has estimated that Sumichrast said. "That is very, Herald photo by Tarqulnlo $30,943,612 will come from prop the district. very clear now." erty taxes, based on a mill rate of Weiss made his recommenda Yet he said there is no reason to 43.30 mills levied against a grand tions March 1 for the budgets of the be too pessimistic since the level of T/s the season? list of $668,504,822. Water and Sewer Division, which building permits still signaled In his budget message to the are financed by user fees. He said future starts at a healthy level. Town workers hang on to portions of the Sherwood Clyde and Bill Crossley. The directors, Weiss described the that based on current information, Builders are blaming the possi shell of the nativity scene at Center budget as one that generally there would be no need to raise town-owned scene is located on the bility of sweeping changes in tax maintains the current level of town water and sewer rates until after Congregational Church as they disman church property at the corner of Center law for a new reluctance of the fiscal year that runs from July services. He said department developers to get big projects tle it this morning. From left, they are Ike and Main streets every Christmas 1, 1987, to June 30, 1988. heads took great care to minimize under way, he said. Drown, Sid Cushman, John Jurewicz, In his General Fund recommen season. the increases requested. dation Weiss made these seven requests for expanded service: • Adding three full-time staffers to the office of the assessor at Charges fly as arms talks resume in Geneva $70,885 to begin work on a property revaluation. He said they would be By Borrv James separate into three separate work fray by castigating the Soviets (or ticized President Reagan's "Star hired for only the two-and-a-half or United Press International ing groups — but insists that the C anada says 'no' treaty violations during a luncheon Wars” strategic defense initiative three years needed to do the issue of space weapons must be in Quebec City, Canada, Monday as risking the creation of "a new revaluation in house. GENEVA, Switzerland — U.S. intrinsically linked to that of to nuclear weapons with Prime Minister Brian Maginot line of the 21st Century, • Adding a full-time housing and Soviet negotiators met today existing strategic and Mulroney. liable td be outflanked by rela inspector and a part-time clerk to — see page 4 for the third time in the super intermediate-range nuclear Since the last negotiating session tively simpler and demonstrably the Health Division at $25,677 to power arms talks, seeking a way to weapons. Thursday, Belgium has deployed cheaper counter-measures." continue housing code inspections and handle complaints. move forward on discussing the Exactly when the talks will State George Shultz and Soviet the first 16 of the 48 cruise missiles In a related development, the • Adding a principal planner to separate issues of strategic, inter divide into working groups had not Foreign Minister Andrei Gro under a NATO plan to base 572 White House announced the presi mediate and space weaponry. been decided as the negotiations myko. Karpov said U.S, negotia cruise and Pershing 2 missiles in dent will hold a nationally tele the Planning Division at $18,137. Officials said the two sides met resumed after a four-day recess. tors were giving "lectures” about Western Europe to counter a vised news conference Thursday, • Adding a maintenance me at the Soviet mission to the United A shadow was cast over the Soviet buildup of more than 400 It will be the 30th news confer chanic to the Building Mainte supposed benefits of defensive Nations, with the three senior SS-20 intermediate-range missiles. ence during Reagan's presidency nance Division at $20,800. meeting by Karpov’s public allega weapons in space rather than negotiators on either side attend NATO and U.S. officials wel and is expected to cover a wide • Adding six temporary tion that the United States is acting negotiating seriously for their ing — for the United States, Max comed the Belgian move as a range of domestic and interna summer workers to the Highway in bad faith on the space weapons . elimination. Kampelman, John Tower and issue. Shultz later criticized Karpov tor reinforcement of critical alliance tional topics, including the possi Division at a total cost of $12,000 to Maynard Glitman and for the Karpov went on Soviet television breaching the confidentiality of the solidarity as the Geneva talks get bility of a summit meeting with expand the street maintenance Soviet Union, Viktor Karpov, Yuli over the weekend to accuse the talks and running the risk of down to business.

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