DeStefano lays out budget proposal

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - No tax increases is just one of the highlights in New Haven Mayor John DeStefano's new budget.

It also features increases in manpower to both the police and fire departments.

It is a very ambitious budget to be sure and it will certainly be picked apart during the legislative process, but the mayor is clearly putting a high priority on combating crime in the Elm City.
              
The mayor's budget calls for an additional 67 police officers to be added to the force and he wants to increase the numbers of cops walking a beat from 20 up to 40.  

"I think the walking beats are very much about building relationships with community, from relationships come information and with information comes solve-ability on crimes," DeStefano said.
      
New Haven residents like Sean Martin like the idea. "That would be a definite improvement for the city of New Haven, a definite improvement put the cops out of the car and on the beat," he said.

The mayor also wants to double the police department's Internal Affairs Department.

The budget also calls for the hiring of 43 new firefighters.

News 8 asked the mayor how police and fire department manpower can be increased without a tax hike.

"One because we've had great growth in the grand list, we're getting new revenues from things being build in the city adding new taxes," DeStefano explained.

He also says staffing increases will cut overtime costs.

For city workers, DeStefano says there will be no wage increases unless they've already been negotiated.

The spending plan does include the elimination of 125 education positions that the mayor hopes can be achieved through attrition and not lay-offs.

News 8 then asked the mayor what options he'd have if fewer education workers leave than the city anticipates.

"Then we're going to face a choice of whether to continue them or not," he said. "When we know better what that will be will be when we know what the state budget is finally for the Board of Education this year and we look at other choices how to balance the budget."

The mayor also says effective negotiations between the city and a number of the unions has also been a critical factor in this budget that does not include a tax increase.
          
As with the roll out of any municipal budget it will likely look different by the time the Board of Aldermen is ready to sign off on it.