Office of Management, Budget, Grants, and Revenue

The Office of Management, Budget and Grants provides professional, robust and accurate financial forecasting, budget development and fiscal control, operations analysis, and grants management to Hartford’s elected leadership, executive management, department directors and constituents enabling them to make informed decisions regarding the allocation and use of resources required to achieve City goals. The Office of Management, Budget and Grants strives to maximize leveraging of state, federal and local grant opportunities to fund programs and services that will benefit the citizenry of the City of Hartford. 

Department Head

Julian Freund

Director of Finance and Interim Director of Management, Budget, Grants, and Revenue.

name
 
title
 
phone
 
email
 Administration          

Leigh Ann Ralls

  Director of Finance and Interim Director of Management, Budget, Grants, and Revenue  

860-757-9550

 

RALLL001@hartford.gov

Dave Beck

     

Assistant Director Special Projects

    

860-757-9516 

   

David.Beck@hartford.gov

Camille Thomas

     

Sr. Administrative Assistant

    

860-757-9550 

   

Camille.Thomas@hartford.gov

Budget Development & Control

Jeff Hallin

 

Assistant Director

 

860-757-9552 

 

HallJ001@hartford.gov

Ranbir Gujral

 

Management Analyst

 

860-757-9546

 

Ranbir.Gujral@hartford.gov

Lisa Gray 

 

Management Analyst

 

860-757-9553

 

Lisa.Gray@hartford.gov

Felesha Ross

 

Management Analyst - Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

 

860-757-9556

 

Felesha.Ross@hartford.gov

             
Central Grants Administration        

Sheryl Horowitz, PhD

 

Director

 

860-757-9276

 

Sheryl.Horowitz@hartford.gov

Walter Drost

 

Project Manager

 

860-757-9278

 

Drosw002@hartford.gov

Ronnie Vazquez

 

Project Manager

 

860-757-9284

 

Ronnie.Vazquez@hartford.gov

 Dalia Ajodhi    Senior Project Manager   860-757-9277   Dalia.ajodhi@hartford.gov
             
Revenue Management and Collection      

Jacquelyn Pesquira

 

 Senior Accountant

 

860-757-9635

 

Jacquelyn.Pesquira@hartford.gov

             
Risk Management        

Sara Lowenthal

 

Risk Manager

 

860-757-9655

 

Sara.Lowenthal@hartford.gov

City of Hartford Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Calendar

Below is a calendar of key milestone dates for the City of Hartford’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget process. This process will establish the City’s operating and capital budgets for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2023 and ends on June 30, 2024.

Some of the dates below are subject to change. This page will be updated as additional dates and events are scheduled.

FY 2024 CITY OF HARTFORD BUDGET CALENDAR
DATE* EVENT
March 27, 2023 Mayor Submits the Mayor’s Recommended Budget to the Council Through the City Clerk
April 5, 2023 Public Hearing on the Budget
April 6, 2023 - April 25, 2023 Department Presentation & Budget Meetings
April 26, 2023 Final Public Hearing on the Budget
May 8, 2023 Council Recesses Regular Council Meeting
May 11, 2023 Council Reconvenes to Begin Budget Deliberations
May 21, 2023 Last Day for Council to Adopt the Budget
May 24, 2023 Council Transmits the Adopted Budget through the Clerk to the Mayor
May 27, 2023 Mayor Transmits Actions to the Adopted Budget through the Clerk to the Council
June 1, 2023 Final Action - Council Transmits the Adopted Budget through the Clerk to the Mayor
July 1, 2023 Start of FY2024

*Some dates are subject to change.

In December 2017, the City of Hartford requested Tier 3 designation under the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) in order to access additional tools in achieving long-term fiscal sustainability in exchange for significant accountability and oversight. The City was approved as a Tier 3 municipality in 2018. As a Tier 3 municipality under MARB oversight, the City of Hartford is required to submit and present at a public meeting monthly financial reports to ensure the City is operating with fiscal diligence in conformity with the annual budget and broader financial plan. The City’s General Fund Recommended Budget must be reviewed by the MARB on an annual basis and the revenue assumptions must be approved by the MARB. Any union tentative agreements must also be reviewed by the MARB.

In March 2018, the City entered into a contract assistance agreement with the State of Connecticut to service the approximately $540 million in current general obligation debt service until such debt was retired. This agreement is backed by the full faith and credit of the State of Connecticut. As part of this agreement, the City of Hartford is subject to considerable financial oversight and is precluded from going into the bond market for at least the next five years. There are also limitations on the issuance of new debt for a ten-year period following the end of MARB oversight. Under the contract assistance agreement, the City must fully fund the Municipal Employee Retirement Fund (MERF) actuarially determined employer contribution (ADEC) and is precluded from accumulating general fund operating deficits above 1% or more per the most recently completed fiscal year’s independent audit. The City is also precluded from having an operating general fund deficit 1.5% or greater of average general fund revenue over two consecutive years, or having a cumulative unassigned fund balance deficit of 1.5% or more. Lack of compliance with such requirements would trigger a default, thus placing the City in Tier 4 full oversight.

The City of Hartford provided a 5-year Municipal Recovery Plan to the MARB in March 2018, which identified revenue and expenditures assumptions, contract assistance for debt service, labor concessions, economic development goals and initiatives to generate Grand List growth, as well as revenue and expenditure initiatives, the combination of which provided a pathway to fiscal balance. Such plan required the City to shift to a pay-as-you-go Capital Improvement Program, whereby the capital expenditure program is funded primarily from the General Fund. Such plan was reviewed in detail by the full MARB and a subcommittee thereof and approved in June 2018. The City will resubmit an updated Five-Year Financial Forecast annually in concert with the Mayor’s Recommended General Fund Budget.