Berlin Mayor Vetoes Council’s Amended Budget

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall has vetoed the amended budget approved by the town council last week.

Tyndall says he proposed a balanced FY22 budget – keeping the tax rate the same and including capital projects and contributions to build up the town’s depleted reserve funds. However, the council approved a seven-page amendment to the Mayor’s proposed budget, which would impact all members of the community.

In a letter to Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood, the Mayor expresses his formal disapproval of the approval of the FY22 Budget as submitted.

“In October of 2016, I was voted in as a Councilmember. I spent four years fighting to make sure that Berlin was on a better path financially. Four years later, I won Mayor with 69% of the votes because people knew that I did not stand for wasteful spending and was fiscally responsible. I made a promise when I was elected to fight for a better financial future for Berlin. I proposed keeping the tax rate the same as FY21 and presented a balanced budget to the Council that included capital projects and contributions to build up our depleted reserve funds. As elected officials, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions in the best interest of the people we represent. I am asking the Council to take the next few weeks to think about how their decisions impact not only the employees of the Town of Berlin but the people we all represent. I hope that during the next Mayor and Council meeting, my veto is not overridden,” Tyndall said.

To read the veto message, please CLICK HERE