Bridgeport budget would boost education spending, give smaller increase to police overtime
<p>Bridgeport City Council unanimously approved a $542 million municipal budget Monday night that carries no tax hikes and reduces the mayor's funding for police overtime by about a million dollars in favor of boosting education funding. </p>
News 12 Staff
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May 9, 2017, 8:47 PM
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Updated 2,549 days ago
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Bridgeport City Council unanimously approved a $542 million municipal budget Monday night that carries no tax hikes and reduces the mayor's funding for police overtime by about a million dollars in favor of boosting education funding.
After the reduction, the budget still includes $5.2 million for police overtime, which is a $200,000 increase over this year's allocation.
Although six council members tried to block the police cuts, all 20 members voted in favor of the budget at the end.
The police department will also receive money toward new technology and equipment, which the budget committee's co-chairperson says could cut down on overtime.
The mayor's proposed budget had cut education funding, which the council's version restored and added to.
Councilwoman Jeanette Herron, a Democrat, said that while she supported increasing spending on education, she was opposed to taking it from the police department.
"We had four robberies yesterday," she said. "We've had crime escalate to a point that I don't know what we're going to do."
The budget will go to Mayor Joe Ganim for final approval, although it's unclear whether he will sign it or veto it. He has two weeks to make a decision.
