BURLINGTON, Vt. -
It didn't take long for Burlington's City Council to pass its fiscal year 2013 budget Monday night, a short resolution following months of scrutiny and debate over how to close the city's $1 million budget gap.
"Gets the city moving again in some important ways, it addresses some of the serious financial issues facing the city," explains Mayor Miro Weinberger, D-Burlington.
The budget will slightly decrease the municipal property tax and places a renewed focus on park maintenance and repairing the Burlington bike path.
Water and wastewater rates will increase by about $45 per household and construction permit prices are going up as well in an effort to shore up enterprise fund deficits.
Even frequent budget critics complimented the proposal.
"I think you guys have done an awesome job, I've been asking for years, decrease our taxes, you guys did it, so thanks guys," says Vince Dober, R-Burlington City Council.
Some voiced what they called minor concerns and reminded the public that costs will rise even if city taxes don't. Voters in March approved an 11 percent school budget increase.
"So don't be surprised everybody when you're watching this, is that there's a tax assessment from the school department that we don't have yet," says Sharon Bushor, I-Burlington City Council.
None of the fiscal proposals on the agenda Monday night received more than one vote of dissent.
Councilors say an easier to understand format and a more prolonged and open process, allowed them to get questions answered before the budget binder landed in front of them.
In exactly one week, the mayor says he'll release his plan for the Moran plant and waterfront development as a whole.
When Weinberger campaigned for the job he promised to do so within 90 days of entering office, earlier today he joked that because the first of July lands on a Sunday, he'll be one day late of hitting his deadline.
