Mayor Bronin Releases Recomm Budget, Proposal For Relief Funding

Published on April 19, 2021

HARTFORD, CONN (April 19, 2021) – Today Mayor Luke Bronin released his Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2021- 2022, which is available here, as well as an allocation plan for American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.  Both the budget and the allocation plan for the ARP are subject to City Council approval. 

The budget is balanced and does not rely on any one-time revenues, asset sales, or deferments of obligations. It does not raise the mill rate and does not include any long-term borrowing.  The budget prioritizes basic city services, including public safety and core public works functions, while maintaining support for the city’s most vulnerable residents and young people.  The budget does not rely on the use of American Rescue Plan funds. 

“The past year has been among the most challenging in our city’s and our nation’s history,” said Mayor Bronin.  “After years of hard work to move our city from crisis to stability, and after building an energy and momentum that Hartford had not seen in many years, the pandemic was a gut punch.  But our mission today is clear: to put this pandemic in the past, to remain focused on expanding opportunity and lifting up every part of our community, to recapture that momentum, to stay disciplined, and to build back better.  Consistent with our long-term plan for fiscal sustainability, this recommended budget is very similar to our recent budgets.  It does not raise property taxes, and it does not include any new borrowing.  It continues to prioritize essential services, public safety, and critical capital investment.  The recovery ahead will not be easy or quick. We will face more difficult decisions and unexpected challenges along the way. But we will tackle those challenges directly, honestly, and transparently. And because of the strength, the resilience, the creativity, and the courage of our community, I am as confident as I have ever been in Hartford's future.”

Mayor Bronin also released a proposed multi-year allocation plan to utilize resources from the American Rescue Plan, which will provide an estimated $116,700,000 that must be spent by December 31, 2024 to assist with the City’s recovery from the direct and indirect impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The American Rescue Plan enacted by President Biden gives us the resources to make investments that will help us to build a stronger, more equitable, more resilient city in the years ahead,” said Mayor Bronin.  “But we must not use those funds to fill gaps in our budget, or to expand the budget in ways that our tax base cannot maintain.  This proposed multi-year allocation plan includes significant funding for critical investments in our young people, in the health and wellbeing of all of our residents, as well as investments to lift up our entire community.  I look forward to working with the City Council as this process moves forward.”

The categories of proposed expenditures over the next three years are as follows: 

  • $13,900,000 for Youth Services and Support, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for organizations and initiatives to help young people in Hartford recover and heal from the isolation and disruption of the pandemic, including youth recreation, employment, enrichment, and other supports.
  • $11,250,000 for Community Safety and Wellness, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for efforts and initiatives designed to improve the physical, mental and emotional health of the Hartford community, as well as to combat the increase in violence that Hartford and communities across the country have experienced during the pandemic.
  • $15,300,000 for Business Support and Activation, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for efforts andinitiatives to improve the business climate on key commercial corridors, provide direct support for small businesses through loans and grants, and marketing and promotion of the city to assist with the economic recovery.
  • $7,000,000 for Housing-focused Non-profits, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for non-profit entities working to improve the quality of existing housing or expand quality housing opportunities in Hartford’s neighborhoods, with a particular focus on promoting homeownership.
  • $5,850,000 for Arts and Culture, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for summer and year-round arts & culture events and initiatives to contribute to the city’s economic recovery and activate public spaces, as well as the creation of public art, with an emphasis on employing local artists.
  • $47,300,000 for Economic and Community Development, which shall include, but not be limited to, funding for key neighborhood investments, to the extent permitted by Treasury Department guidance, as well as public private partnerships, including through the Capital Region Development Authority, designed to restore economic activity and promote economic growth throughout the City.
  • $9,500,000 for critical infrastructure, which shall include, but not be limited to, investments in water and sewer infrastructure, including the Hartford flood control system. 
  • $6,600,000 for revenue replacement for eligible expenditures including, but not limited to, the provision of city services and/or capital investment to the extent permitted by forthcoming guidance from U.S. Department of the Treasury.
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