Budgeting in the Dark
Before we can talk about what should be cut from the Town of Hamden’s budget, we need to confront a more foundational issue: we don’t actually know how much money we truly have to spend. This isn’t a minor oversight. Right now, Hamden’s budget is, at best, an educated guess. And part of me wonders if that’s simply how things have always been done.
The Hidden Story in the Budget
When I requested access to the back-end budget data through ClearGov, Mayor Lauren Garrett graciously provided it. However, as I began analyzing expenditures, I noticed something odd: only one fund was listed—the General Fund.
That’s a problem. Without separate fund breakdowns, it’s impossible to distinguish between what’s tax-funded and what’s grant- or state-funded. While this distinction is more apparent in the “Capital Projects” section, it becomes far more problematic in other areas of the budget, where the funding sources are less clearly defined.
For example, ARPA isn’t listed as a revenue source in the proposed 2025–2026 budget, even though ARPA-funded salary stipends are included in the expenditures. This discrepancy likely arises from the reallocation of remaining unused or unallocated ARPA funds in December 2024 to cover municipal expenses, effectively moving them into the General Fund, as required by the allocation deadline. The concern, however, lies in the fact that these funds are not taxpayer dollars, and there is no clear distinction between which expenses are being funded by tax revenue and which are being covered by grant money. This is not a household checkbook; funds like these should not be mixed together, as we have multiple funding sources. This lack of clarity underscores the need for financial statements that are broken out by fund, enabling a transparent view of how each type of funding is being allocated. Below are some examples of how this style of reporting obscures the budget:
Hamden Community Center
Under the "Hamden Community Campus Phase 1 - Youth, Arts, and Recreation Center," the funding source is simply listed as “Grants - Other,” which lacks the necessary detail to clarify whether the funding comes from ARPA or other sources (see image below). This vague categorization further complicates efforts to track and understand the actual funding sources.
Public Works
Here’s another example from the Public Works expenditures in ClearGov, noting the mention of ARPA. Where can this list be found? Why aren’t ARPA funds included in the revenue sections of the budget, especially if they’re supplementing salaries? For instance, are we expected to believe that around $4 million in salaries were covered by ARPA funds? This is hard to confirm, particularly with the absence of 2024-2025 data, a gap present throughout the entire budget.
Hamden Public Library
Here’s another example from the Hamden Public Library. The budget only shows $8,000 in revenue for FY26, with the FY25 projection left blank.
However, according to documents provided by department heads to Rhonda Caldwell during her investigation, $619K is available for salaries. This includes $200K from ARPA, $23,839 from the New Haven Area Foundation, and savings from vacant positions. These figures are not reflected in the Town’s budget. Without detailed financial statements, it’s impossible to substantiate where this money is coming from or ensure accurate allocation.
What You Deserve to Know
You deserve clarity. You deserve transparency. You deserve to know what to expect from your elected Legislative Council members—what they should be asking, pressing for, and watching out for when they vote on your behalf.
The Council’s primary role is to serve as a check on the executive branch—in our case, the mayoral administration. This is especially critical when it comes to fiscal matters. Council members are not rubber stamps; they are your watchdogs. Their job is to ensure every budget request is legitimate, transparent, and justifiable. That’s how taxpayers are protected.
Responsible Governance Is Not a Nuisance
State Representative Josh Elliott (D) recently responded to District 5 Councilwoman Rhonda Caldwell for requesting more detailed financial reporting, similar to the nearly 100-page monthly reports produced in New Haven. He wrote:
“While informative, this type of report would require additional staffing in the finance department — and additional funding — to produce and maintain. At this time, it is not a requirement of our charter, and resources are already stretched thin.”
Councilwoman Caldwell’s request is rooted in her responsibility to ensure transparency and clarity in how taxpayer dollars are being spent. It’s not about overreach, but about fulfilling the basic duty of making financial data accessible and understandable for residents, especially when the proposed budget asks taxpayers for an additional $14 million.
Council members shouldn’t have to become forensic accountants just to understand what they’re being asked to approve. It's unconscionable to ask for more from residents—many at risk of losing their homes due to rising property assessments—without offering basic financial clarity in return.
Detailed financial reporting is a best practice for cities across Connecticut. In New Haven, it’s a requirement enshrined in the charter, approved by voters. Hamden voters also supported a similar system in our own Charter, and it is important that we honor that commitment to transparency and accountability.
Transparency Is Not Optional
Rep. Elliott’s argument presents a contradiction. While he asserts that the Town is already producing all reports required by the Charter, he also suggests that more detailed reports would be too burdensome.
This stance overlooks a key aspect of public finance. Detailed reports are not merely “informative” — they are essential for transparency and accountability. They provide critical insights not just into how much money is being spent, but also where it is going, how it is being allocated, and the rationale behind those decisions. Without this clarity, it becomes difficult for residents and council members to fully understand the town’s financial position and make well-informed decisions.
Per our own Town Charter, the Finance Director is required to do the following:
Perhaps this lapse occurred because there was no Finance Director in place since November. But in their absence, who was responsible for ensuring compliance? One would assume it would have been the Deputy Finance Director, Rick Galarza, who reportedly earned $156,000 in overtime pay in 2023 alone. In the 2024–2025 budget, $100,000 was allocated for overtime. However, according to the most recent budget proposal on the ClearGov website, actual overtime spending for the department had reached $206,398 as of March 2025—more than double the original amount.
So the question becomes: with all that overtime, were they truly unable to produce comprehensive financial reports? And if the workload is genuinely that overwhelming, is it really unreasonable to bring in temporary support to help get this right—especially when doing so likely would have cost taxpayers significantly less?
For the average resident, it’s important to distinguish between what the Town actually has and what we think we have. The MUNIS reports— those being referred to as “financial reports” —are posted on the Town’s website but are not regularly delivered to the Council by the finance department. Multiple Council members have confirmed that they rarely receive the reports required under subsection (v). They also lack critical context and key details.
For example, current MUNIS reports indicate a $40 million surplus—but what does that number truly reflect? Is it ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, or was it a temporary grant used to cover salaries and operating expenses, giving the appearance of a windfall? Additionally, what about the $13.6 million surplus generated through taxes but not spent in FY25, especially since ARPA funds were used to supplement salaries? Should that surplus be carried over and allocated for FY26?
Without a monthly balance sheet that shows activity and clearly indicates which expenses are being paid from which funds, how can the administration accurately determine what to charge residents—especially when all revenue is funneled into the general fund and only later sorted out by auditors?
That’s unacceptable. Transparency in both revenues and expenditures is non-negotiable in a functioning democracy.
The Stakes Are Too High for Guesswork
Other questions linger, too. Are there actually surpluses? It appears there were in previous years, and those surpluses helped rebuild the fund balance and improve Hamden’s bond rating. But without full financial transparency, we can't know the full story.
Even more concerning: as of the end of March, the town's audit hadn’t even started, as confirmed in an email to Rhonda Caldwell from the auditor at CBIZ. Chief of Staff Sean Grace clarified in a Facebook comment within our group:
“Audits are due on Jan 1 (not September as has been posted a few places) unless an extension is approved by OPM. Hamden was granted an extension. Extensions are fairly common, particularly when a new auditor is used.”
He's correct—the Charter mandates that the audit be completed by December 31, six months after the fiscal year ends. The issue, however, is that the Council members I’ve spoken to weren’t even aware of the extension, highlighting the ongoing lack of transparency, whether intentional or not.
Without an audit and detailed financial reporting, how can the administration present a budget with confidence? And how can we, the residents and taxpayers, trust it?
I’m not suggesting these practices are intentionally deceptive. It’s possible that this simply reflects the way things have always been done. In any case, they make meaningful analysis of the budget difficult. The annual audit and detailed monthly reports would likely have addressed many of the emerging questions.
I’ve heard through the grapevine that some Council members plan to push this through. We cannot let that happen. We must urge them to demand better information to ensure we’re not asking more of tax payers than is truly necessary. There are solutions, and we must find them. They may not yield the level of relief we are all looking for, but any adjustments at this point would be welcome.
What You Can Do Now
📩 Submit Questions for the Mayor
Mayor Garrett has agreed to a Zoom town forum and a written Q&A. Date and time are TBD. Send your questions to: hamdenresidentsunite@gmail.com
🧭 Attend Budget Deliberations
Tune in to Zoom meetings to follow the conversation in real time and stay informed.
📰 Stay in the Loop
Subscribe to this Substack for key updates and join our Facebook group.
✖️Calculate Your 2025-2026 Taxes
Use this cool tool, created by Hamden residents Edward Lee and Luke Sanford.
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📣 Contact Your Council Members
Hold your representatives accountable. If you’re unsure who represents you, locate your district on the map below, then scroll down for the full list of email addresses.
