Auditing Hooper
The Ledger's review of Hooper's budgets, audits, debt and redevelopment money. Every story in the series, sorted by subject, with the figures the records show and links to the official documents.
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Auditing Hooper: what we're examining and why
The Ledger is reading Hooper's budgets, audits and council records. Here is what the city's fiscal 2025 audited financial statements and its approved fiscal 2027 budget show.
Read the explainer →Key figures
- $5.1 millionHooper's approved FY2027 general fund expensesAuditing Hooper: what we're examining and why →
- $6.55 millionSewer loan owed to the state at June 30, 2025Auditing Hooper: what we're examining and why →
- $969,521Planned FY2027 sewer fund balance decreaseHooper's sewer budget plans to spend $969,521 more than it takes in →
- $534,000Low bid for HVAC upgrades at three vacuum stationsHooper picks a $534,000 bid for sewer station HVAC; draft minutes record force main funding with no dollar amount →
- 125 unitsResidential cap in draft Hooper Crossing agreementHooper Crossing's draft deal leaves any city contribution to later agreements →
- $128,000Proposed added city property tax revenueHooper's 2026 tax rate records list three different rates →
- $165,381Amount recorded as FY2025 grant revenue and FY2027 ARPA incomeThe same $165,381 appears twice in Hooper's storm water records →
Redevelopment money
Hooper Crossing's draft deal leaves any city contribution to later agreements
Hooper adopted an economic incentive policy on the mayor's tie-breaking vote in April. The draft Hooper Crossing development agreement before the council in September makes a regional sewer lift station eligible for public money but says amounts must be set in separate council-approved agreements.
Budgets, reserves and taxes
The same $165,381 appears twice in Hooper's storm water records
Hooper's fiscal 2025 audit records $165,381 of grant revenue in the storm water fund. The approved fiscal 2027 budget lists $165,381 labeled ARPA as new income for a year with an $880,000 project.
Hooper's 2026 tax rate records list three different rates
Hooper proposed $128,000 more in property tax for the sheriff's contract. The hearing notice, the draft resolution and the draft minutes of the Aug. 6 vote each give a different rate.
Hooper's sewer budget plans to spend $969,521 more than it takes in
The approved fiscal 2027 sewer budget combines operations, $525,000 of depreciation, a loan line and $810,080 of capital projects. Its loan line runs $95,000 above the principal in the audit's repayment schedule.
Contracts and spending
Hooper picks a $534,000 bid for sewer station HVAC; draft minutes record force main funding with no dollar amount
Draft July 29 minutes record a 4-0 vote to award vacuum station HVAC work to the low bidder and a 3-1 vote for partial funding of a sewer force main in West Haven's 5100 West road project. The motion on the force main names no amount.