Norwich city council candidates address issues in first debate
Norwich — The 11 City Council candidates took on diverse and controversial issues during the first political forum Tuesday, with several candidates saying they would revisit the concept of spreading the city fire tax outside the urban center and also to consider budget referendum to control spending.
Former Republican Mayor Peter Nystrom said the five Republican candidates have pledged support for budget referendum as a way of forcing the city to cut taxes.
Nystrom also said the current approved city budget could be reopened to make mid-year cuts. The issue wasn't considered in the recent charter revision process.
Newcomer Republican candidate Joanne Philbrick, a regular gadfly at council meetings, offered the strongest sentiments for budget referendum. She also said the budget should be reviewed line by line to find savings.
“We need to give the budget to the people to decide,” Philbrick said. “If we're going to lower the budget, that's what we have to do.”
Republican candidate Gerald Martin said “all the taxes” should go to referendum, but said a new charter revision process would take 18 months.
The charter panel rejected changing the controversial dual fire tax.
Former Democratic Alderman H. Tucker Braddock said he believes in “one city, one tax,” but said the issue was decided.
Braddock and new Democratic candidate Elanah Sherman said they would like to see paid and volunteer firefighters become more “integrated” citywide.
“Everyone deserves professional fire protection,” Sherman said.
Democratic Alderman and council President Pro Tempore Francois “Pete” Desaulniers said city officials did “start to fix” the dual fire tax inequity by directing some revenue received from Norwich Public Utilities to the paid fire tax district. He said more of that can be done.
Republican Alderman William Nash said he was disappointed that the charter commission didn't put the fire tax to referendum, and wanted more public discussion of the issue that is crippling downtown.
“We need to consider how better to spread that around,” Nash said.
Democratic candidate Samuel Browning said city leaders need to look at the entire budget and all departments to reduce taxes — including police and fire department overtime, unfunded state mandates and pensions.
All 11 candidates agreed that the proposed Chelsea Gardens botanical gardens project should not receive any city money going forward — the recently controversial project last received city funding in 2011 — but the candidates varied on their support for the project and how long to wait for the 20-year project to obtain major private funding to move forward.
Former Democratic Alderman Edward Martin was on the council 20 years ago when the foundation received its long-term lease of 80 acres in Mohegan Park for the project.
Martin would give the foundation “three to five years” to obtain funding. Nystrom suggested three years.
Democratic Alderman Mark Bettencourt said this year's 6 percent tax increase was the result of revenue shortfalls more than a spending increase.
Bettencourt is counting on proposed new zoning changes to increase commercial land and attract businesses to the city.
The council will consider the zone changes Oct. 19.
Republican candidate Stacy Gould said city leaders need to figure out what businesses want and need and answer the question of why they are not choosing to come to Norwich.
She pointed to the $3 million in downtown incentive money, and said even with lease rebates and other enticements, businesses didn't come downtown.
c.bessette@theday.com
Twitter: @Bessettetheday
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.