Town Council approved to extend schedule this week

By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Jan. 28, 2021) The Berlin mayor and Town Council agreed Monday to extend the deadline for the review of the financial projections to its next meeting on Feb. 8.

The town’s finance director Natalie Saleh said the council adopted a motion to review the real estate tax rate prior to the budget process on June 24, 2019.

“In that resolution, there are three categories,” said Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood.

Firstly, the mayor and council should review the town’s short- and long-term financial projections as well as the general fund reserves at or before the second meeting in January.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Fleetwood said a lot of the checks had not cleared in time.

Additionally, the resolution states the mayor and council should set a date for the tax rate public hearing at or before the second meeting in February, as well as the public hearing for the tax rate should be set and the decision made by the mayor and council about the tax rate should occur no later than the second meeting in March.

Mayor Zackery Tyndall said review of the financial projections will take place on Feb. 8 as well as the scheduling of a tax rate public hearing.

The motion presented on Monday stated that town staff requested the approval of the mayor and council in extending the deadline for the review of the financial projections to no later than Feb. 28.

Councilman Jack Orris suggested the approval of the motion with the amendment of “no later than Feb. 8.”

The council unanimously approved the motion as amended.