Board of Aldermen approves $457.6 million budget after debate over legal funding and water-rate phase-in

The Waterbury Board of Aldermen adopted the citys $457,551,465 fiscal year 2026-27 operating budget and a $56.3 million capital program on Tuesday after extended debate over a late amendment and water-rate changes.

The most contested moment came when Alderwoman Alloman Zimmerman presented a multi-department amendment she said would reallocate roughly $395,800 to restore temporary staffing and seasonal wages across inspection, senior services, leisure and the audit department, add $5,000 for absentee-ballot assistance in the town clerk's office and create a $500 per-alderman printing allocation. To pay those requests, Zimmerman proposed reducing the outside-counsel line for the Corporation Counsel from $700,000 to $500,000.

"The original request was 700. ... We're asking for us to amend it to a half a million to $500,000," Zimmerman said as she described the spreadsheet behind the amendment.

Supporters said the amendment would move one-time or vacancy funds into departments that had made specific requests in department-head hearings. Opponents argued it would undercut the citys legal capacity. The mayor and a city attorney warned that outside legal costs are inherently unpredictable and that cutting the outside-counsel line could force the city to pay more later.

"Outside counsel is unpredictable and those are just costs that come along," said Richard Scapini, a staff attorney in the Corporation Counsels office. "You can't predict when a case is going to come in against the city where you've got a conflict of interest or an esoteric subject where you need specialized counsel."

The Board voted down Zimmermans amendment and then approved the operating appropriations (Resolution 1) by a roll call of nine yes and five no.

Water rates and customer charges drew separate, intense discussion. The administration proposed raising the water usage rate from about $2.65 to $3.50 per 100 cubic feet to address a multi-year deficit and to fund pipe repairs after multiple main breaks. Board leaders and the mayor negotiated a change that kept the quarterly service charge for 5/8" meters at $12 (it had been proposed to double to $24) while setting the usage rate at $3.50. Supporters described the change as a phased approach to limit the year-one impact on households; critics said any increase comes on top of other costs during a revaluation year.

"We thought that keeping the $12 charge was something we could live with," the mayor said in defending the compromise and noting conversations with caucus leaders and the budget team.

The Board adopted the water-enterprise resolution (Resolution 4) by roll call, 9-5, authorizing the $3.50 usage rate and retaining the $12 quarterly service charge for typical 5/8" residential meters.

Other votes and actions

- Resolution 2 (tax levy and mill rate): approved; the real-estate/personal-property mill rate was set at 43.34 mills, reflecting supplemental state aid that reduced the originally proposed rate by 0.52 mills.
- Resolution 3 (water pollution control enterprise fund) and Resolutions 5 (fees and charges) and 6 (mathematical corrections/emergency transfer authority) were approved.
- Two capital budget resolutions covering the citys FY2027 capital program were approved.
- Consent calendar items earlier in the meeting approved Amendment 3 to a professional services agreement with Linguistica International Inc. (translation services) and a construction contract (RFP 8739) with Sound Stage Productions Inc., not to exceed $81,400, for gym sound systems at John F. Kennedy and Crosby high schools.

Why it mattered

Alderwoman Zimmerman and the minority/peoples caucuses framed their amendment as a response to departmental needs flagged in hearings; proponents said it would fund staffing the departments said they needed without increasing overall spending. Opponents, including the mayor and corporate counsel staff, said cutting outside-counsel funding would risk leaving the city exposed to unpredictable litigation costs and could be costlier down the road. The water-rate compromise aimed to balance urgent infrastructure needs with concerns about adding new burdens to households during a revaluation year.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 1 (Operating appropriations): Passed, roll call 9 yes, 5 no.
- Resolution 2 (Tax levy/mill rate): Passed, roll call 9 yes, 5 no. Mill rate set at 43.34 mills (real estate/personal property); motor vehicles 32.46 mills.
- Resolution 3 (Water pollution control enterprise fund): Passed.
- Resolution 4 (Water enterprise fund; usage rate and charges): Passed, roll call 9 yes, 5 no. Usage rate $3.50 per 100 cu. ft.; 5/8" quarterly service charge kept at $12.
- Resolution 5 (Fees and charges): Passed. (Includes administrative clarifications; some departments to update schedules.)
- Resolution 6 (Mathematical corrections/emergency transfers): Passed.
- Capital Resolutions 1 & 2 (FY2027 capital appropriations): Passed.

Whats next

The adopted budget takes effect for FY2026-27 starting July 1, 2026. Several members asked for continued monitoring of outside-counsel spending and urged departments to return with precise requests if additional transfers are required during the year. The administration said it will continue working with departments on implementation and staffing priorities.