I thought one of the roles of the legislative branch of local government was to decide how taxpayer's money is to be spent...not the executive branch.

Some members of the City Council suggested last week they would consider increasing the education budget, provided schools officials meet them in the middle with some long-term savings.

Mayor Mark Boughton said Monday there probably won't be enough votes on the council when it meets Tuesday to approve any increase in education funding.

"If there is a long-term savings found by the (education) board, we would certainly look at our commitment to education," Boughton said, "but the taxpayers are pretty much maxed out. I think the battle tomorrow night (during the council meeting) will be not to cut the education budget further."

When did the mayor become a member of the city council? Sections 7-3 of the city's charter are very clear when it comes to the mayor's role in the city's budget...and it has nothing to do with voting on ANYTHING in the budget...

DUTIES OF THE MAYOR ON THE BUDGET. Not later than April 7th or the next business day thereafter if April 7th shall not be a business day, the Mayor shall present to the Common CITY Council a budget consisting of:

a. A budget message outlining the financial policy of the City government and describing in connection therewith the important features of the budget plan indicating any major changes from the current year in financial policies, expenditures and revenues together with the reasons for such changes, and containing a clear general summary of its contents.

b. Estimates of revenue, presenting in parallel columns the itemized revenue collected in the last completed fiscal year, the receipts collected during the current fiscal year prior to the time of preparing the estimates, total revenue estimated to be collected during the current fiscal year, estimates of revenue, other than from the property tax, to be collected in the ensuing fiscal year, and a statement of an estimate of available surplus.

c. Itemized estimates of expenditures, presenting in parallel columns the actual expenditures for each department, office, agency or activity for the last completed fiscal year and for the current fiscal year prior to the time of preparing the estimates, total expenditures and estimated for the current fiscal year, and the Mayor’s recommendations of the amounts to be appropriated for the ensuing fiscal year for all items, and such other information as may be required by the Common CITY Council. The Mayor shall present reasons for his recommendations.

d. The Board of Education shall have the same duties and follow the same form and procedure with respect to the budget of the Board of Education as required of the Mayor in Section 7-2 of this Chapter for other departmental estimates.

e. As part of the budget, the Mayor shall present a program, TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 15TH THAT HAS BEEN previously considered and acted upon by the City Planning Commission in accordance with Section 8-24 of the General Statutes, as amended, concerning municipal improvements, of proposed capital projects for the ensuing fiscal year and for the five fiscal years thereafter. Estimates of the costs of such projects shall be submitted to BY each department, office or agency annually in the form and manner prescribed by the Mayor. The Mayor shall recommend to the Common CITY Council those projects to be undertaken during the ensuing fiscal year and the method of financing the same.

f. As part of the budget, the Mayor shall present to the Council the data required to be presented to the Mayor by Section 7-1.

...as opposed the city council's role in the budget outlined in section 7-4.

DUTIES OF THE COMMON CITY COUNCIL ON THE BUDGET. The Common CITY Council shall hold one or more public hearings not later than May 1st or the next business day thereafter if May 1st shall not be a business day, at which any elector or taxpayer may have an opportunity to be heard regarding appropriations for the ensuing fiscal year. Following receipt of the estimates from the Mayor, the Council shall cause sufficient copies of said estimates to be made available for general distribution in the office of the City Clerk LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT and, at least five (5) days prior to the aforementioned public hearing, the Council shall cause to be published in a newspaper having a circulation in the City a notice of such public hearing and a summary of said proposed budget estimates showing anticipated revenues by major sources, and proposed expenditures by functions or departments in the same columnar form as prescribed for budget estimates in Section 7-3 of this Chapter, and shall also show the amounts to be raised by taxation. Not later than May 15th or the next business day thereafter if May 15th shall not be a business day, the Council shall adopt a budget and file the same with the City Clerk LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT; provided however, if the Council shall insert new amounts or programs, increase, decrease or strike out amounts or programs in the budget such changes shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of at least two- thirds (2/3) of all the members of the Council. The ordinance adopting the budget may provide for appropriations by department or function, and such appropriations need not be in greater detail than to indicate the total appropriation for each department or function. At the time when the Council shall adopt the budget, together with a provision for uncollectible taxes reserve, it shall also fix the tax rate in mills which shall be levied on the taxable property in the City for the ensuing fiscal year. Should the Council fail to adopt a budget within the time specified, the budget as transmitted by the Mayor, in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-3 of this Chapter shall be deemed to have been finally adopted by said Council. The tax rate shall forthwith be fixed by the Mayor and thereafter expenditures shall be made in accordance with the budget so adopted.

I thought the Republicans on the council didn't take their marching orders from Danbury's last honest man.

Wait, that was in a dream...silly me.