2017‐2018 APPROVED OPERATING BUDGET South Norwalk (SoNo) at Night Photograph by Jeff Klein City of Norwalk, Connecticut CITY OF NORWALK APPROVED OPERATING BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2017-18 The seal of the City of Norwalk was adopted in 1913 to represent the political entities that merged to form the new consolidation. The bridge symbolizes the end of the navigation of Wall St. in the old City of Norwalk, now known as the First Taxing District. The well stands for the former City of South Norwalk, which was called Old Well, a place where ships could replenish their water, and is now the Second Taxing District. The monument, which is dedicated to Roger Ludlow, is the emblem for East Norwalk, site of the original settlement now known as the Third Taxing District. TABLE of CONTENTS Page # Elected and Appointed Officials and Budget Staff City of Norwalk Government Organization Introduction I. Budget Message i II. City Profile 1 III. Budget Overview 9 IV. Financial Summaries and Statistics 23 V. General Fund Revenue 33 VI. General Fund Expenditures 45 VII. General Government Mayor 51 Legislative 55 Corporation Counsel 57 City Clerk 60 Town Clerk 63 Information Technology 67 Personnel & Labor Relations 72 Human Relations & Fair Rent 75 Youth Services 78 Registrar of Voters 81 VIII. Finance Department 85 IX. Health and Welfare 97 -- continued on next page TABLE of CONTENTS Page # X. Protection of Persons and Property Police 107 Fire 119 Planning and Zoning 130 Code Enforcement 137 Combined Dispatch & Emergency Preparedness Planning 140 XI. Public Works 145 XII. Board of Education 153 XIII. Recreation, Arts & Culture Parks & Recreation 159 Library 168 Historical Commission 173 XIV. Grants 175 XV. Operating Charges Debt Service 181 Organizational Memberships 182 Employee Benefits 183 Pensions 184 Contingency 185 XVI. Capital Fund 187 XVII. Other Funds Parking Authority 227 Water Pollution Control Authority 233 Fleet Services 238 XVIII. Appendix Glossary 241 Total City Fund Summary 245 CITY OF NORWALK ELECTED and APPOINTED OFFICIALS and BUDGET STAFF MAYOR: Harry W. Rilling COMMON COUNCIL: Bruce Kimmel Michelle Maggio, Minority Leader Douglas Hempstead John Igneri, Council President Richard Bonenfant Nicholas Sacchinelli Michael DePalma Eloisa Melendez Michael Corsello Steven Serasis John Kydes, Majority Leader Travis Simms Thomas Livingston Phaedrel Bowman Shannon O’Toole-Giandurco BOARD OF ESTIMATE & TAXATION: Greg Burnett, Chairman Edwin Camacho James Feigenbaum Anne Yang-Dwyer James Page BUDGET STAFF: Robert Barron, Director of Finance Lunda Asmani, Director of Management & Budgets Simona Maddox, Assistant Director of Management & Budgets Lola Phillips, Executive Secretary City of Norwalk Government Organization VOTERS Board of Registrar of Town Board of Treasurer Common Sheriff Constables Education Voters Council Mayor Clerk Selectmen Superintendent SOLELY APPOINTS SOLELY APPOINTS of Schools Maritime Aquarium Board of Housing Code Enforcement Building Board Western CT Council of Authority Ethics Authority Administration of Appeals Governments Water Quality Housing Norwalk Advisory Commission Committee Partnership on Arts & Culture Board of Alarm Tree Fair Housing Norwalk Facilities Oak Hills Harbor Mgmt. Board of Zoning Estimate & Appeals Advisory Advisory Contruction Park Commission Assessment Board of Taxation Board Committe Committee Commission Authority Appeals Appeals Parking Board of Pension Land Use & Transit Fair Rent Planning Historical Shellfish Conservation Water Pollution Authority Health Board Building Mgmt District Commission Commission Commission Commission* Commission Control Authority Corporation Public City Information Youth Finance Health Code Recreation & Personnel & Counsel* Works* Clerk Technology Services Director* Department Enforcement Parks Labor Relations* Police Fire Human Relations and Library Zoning Redevelopment Combined Commission* Commission* Fair Rent Commissions Board Commission Agency Dispatch Police Fire Director of Human Library Director of Planning Executive Chief Chief Relations & Fair Rent Director & Zoning Director All Boards, Commissions and Department Heads are chosen by the Mayor and require Common Council approval unless otherwise noted * These Department Heads, Boards and Commissions are solely appointed by the Mayor INTRODUCTION This 2017-18 Approved Operating Budget presents the annual operating expenditures and revenues for the City of Norwalk. The book is divided into nine sections. The Budget Message provides an overview of the 2017-18 operating budget. This section describes the major revenue and expenditure assumptions that guided the budget process; the important issues and priorities for the budget year; and key accomplishments over the course of the past fiscal year, as well as goals for the coming year. City Profile gives readers basic information about the City, including a history and a summary of services the City provides to residents. Budget Overview describes the budget process and the City’s financial structure and accounting system. Also contained in this section are general fund summary schedules and information about the City’s taxing districts, tax levy and mill rates for the upcoming fiscal year. The Financial Summaries and Statistics Section contains data on revenues, expenditures, and personnel for all funds contained in this book. The Operating Revenue Section explains each type of revenue source for the City as well as any significant revenue changes for the budget year. The Operating Expenditures Section includes detailed expenditure information for the departments in the general fund. Each tab contains information on the mission, highlights, goals, performance measures and personnel for the City departments. This section is grouped into service categories – general government, finance, health & welfare, protection of persons & property, public works, education, recreational arts & culture, grants, and other operating charges. The Capital Fund Section describes the capital budget process. The Other Funds Section includes descriptions and financial information on the City’s two enterprise funds – the Water Pollution Control Authority and the Parking Authority, as well as the Fleet Services fund. The Appendix includes a glossary of key terms, and a City and Board of Education fund summary sheet. This budget was prepared by the City’s Office of Management and Budgets. If you need further information or have suggestions for improving this document please contact: City of Norwalk, Office of Management and Budgets, P.O. Box 5125, Norwalk, CT. 06856. The 2017-18 approved budget as well as a listing of City Offices can be found on the City’s website: www.norwalkct.org Budget Message Outline PAGE A. Introduction ii B. Economic Overview iii C. Budget Process iii D. Budget in Brief iv E. Budget Assumptions & Summary of Significant Changes vi F. Management Initiatives and Financial Policy xi G. Non-General Fund Activities xii H. Conclusion xvi i July 1, 2017 Harry W. Rilling, Mayor Members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation Members of the Common Council Citizens of the City: I am pleased to transmit the adopted operating budget for the fiscal year that commences on July 1, 2017, and ends on June 30, 2018. A. INTRODUCTION Mayor Rilling has established a broad set of goals that guide the administration’s decision and budget making processes. These goals are characterized by the following elements that maintain Norwalk’s attractiveness as a community: That is a preferred location for businesses within the New York metro / Southwestern Connecticut area; with a focus on a high quality educational system for its children and a high quality of life in its neighborhoods; with an efficient government that uses reforms, innovation and technology to deliver optimum value to its residents and taxpayers; that adheres to a strategic long-range capital program that maintains and modernizes the city’s infrastructure; that focuses on the efficient and effective delivery of core municipal services, especially public safety; and that is an affordable place to live by limiting tax increases to the lowest practical levels. These broad goals were referenced extensively as the FY 2017-18 budget was being formulated and as budget priorities were established to ensure that the budget would further the achievement of these goals. These goals form the basis for the administration’s commitment to limit local government spending and taxes, and they provide guidance to policy-makers when deciding what budget initiatives to support. ii B. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW The development of the city’s budget occurs within the larger context of the economic and fiscal climate. This climate affects both the revenues available to support the city budget and the expenditure pressures faced by the city. The State of Connecticut’s recovery from the great recession is lagging that of the nation’s which influences its ability to provide municipal aid. The City of Norwalk is relatively insulated from big swings in state funding as it only represents 5% of the city’s operating budget. A positive sign of recovery is that both the state’s and city’s unemployment rates are down year over year. The Connecticut Department of Labor, in its June 2017 release of Labor Force Data, reported that year to date 5.1% of the labor force remain unemployed statewide compared to 5.6% for the same period a year ago. The City of Norwalk’s year to date 2017 unemployment rate is 4.5%, down from 4.9% for the same period a year ago. Fortunately,