Marking two ovals on a bubble sheet. That’s all it takes to have direct influence over how your money is spent in Seymour.
Yet more than 80 percent of registered voters routinely don’t even do that much.
It’s a statistic that has always surprised and frustrated me, observing this town as a reporter since 2006.
I grew up and then lived in cities where an elected body made all decisions on the budget. It was easy to become removed from the process because I had no direct link to it.
I envied towns like Seymour that gave residents the ultimate say in such an important matter.
Now for the first time, as a new resident of Seymour, I’ll get a chance to have a vote on the way my government spends its money.
I urge my neighbors and friends to take advantage of that privilege, as I plan to do this year.
Low Turnout
Yet, if this year is like the recent past, only about 1,500 people will turn out and exercise that privilege.
Take the past two years alone — which had a combined seven budget votes.
The highest turnout for any of them was 19 percent, during the fourth and final school budget vote of 2012.
That’s 19 percent of the town’s roughly 9,400 voters, not 19 percent of the 15,000 or so people who live in town.
And remember, that was the high point. Only only 12.7 percent of registered voters show up for the first budget vote that year.
Regardless of the results, I’d feel better knowing the decision was based on a larger pool of opinions. Town officials, likewise, could make better decisions about the budget with a better understanding of the general population’s opinion.
With too few votes it’s too easy to write off results as the voice of just “anti-school” senior citizens or “whiny” school parents (the off-the-record characterizations often repeated to reporters).
A resounding “no” from more voters would hold more weight.
So would a resounding “yes.”
I didn’t vote because…
I often ask people whether they vote in local elections or budget decisions. I’m always frustrated by the people who don’t.
The following are some of the common answers I get, plus my responses.
1. My vote doesn’t count.
I’m actually with you on this one when it comes to presidential elections in Connecticut (but I vote regardless).
But when it comes to local elections, this is just plain wrong. The town’s budget was approved by a margin of just 11 votes in 2012.
A third-ward alderman candidate in Derby lost the election by just two votes in November.
And if you’re worried that it’ll take too much time, you’ll stand behind more people in the line at Dunkin’ Donuts the morning of the referendum. Buy them a coffee, and encourage them to vote.
2. I’m not informed about the budget.
In this town, you have to actively try to be uninformed about the budget.
Several media outlets cover the meetings leading up to the budget vote, where all the details are ironed out. (Click here for all the stories the Valley Indy has written on the topic.)
Yes, these stories are boring, and, at times, hard to understand (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)). They may not be police scanner Facebook posts about car wrecks on Route 8, but budget stories are worth taking a few minutes to read.
Town officials have held public meetings and this year participated in a Valley Indy video chat to get the word out.
And every single document about the budget is posted on the town’s website, here, along with a handy how-to-calculate-your-taxes guide.
3. I don’t have time to vote.
The town’s polling place is open for 14 hours — from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There may be some people out of town that day but most just don’t find the time to head over to the community center.
Fill up your gas tank the night before, make your own lunch and make time for a quick stop to vote on your way to work.
4. Where is the Community Center? I thought Pine Street was wiped out in the Flood of 1955.
OK, no one has ever said this to me. But I thought it once to myself when I was new to town.
Just in case you did too, but were afraid to admit it, Pine Street is the driveway off Broad Street, where the community center is located.
It’s in between the Trestle Tavern and the waterfalls. Click here for the Google Map.
5. I rent, so I don’t care about the budget.
This makes sense until you get your car tax bill, which is based on the same tax rate as other property tax.
Also, landlords pay taxes and take the tax rate into account when determining rent.
And the budget affects all town services — including ones you use and love.
Think you might drive on a town road, be helped by a town police officer, need help at town hall or send your child to town schools? Then the budget applies to you — and you have a responsibility to have your say.
To Vote
The budget referendum will be held from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 1 at the Seymour Community Center on Pine Street.
To be eligible to vote, you must be a registered voter in Seymour or own at least $1,000 in taxable property in the town.
Jodie Mozdzer Gil is a Seymour resident, assistant professor of journalism at Southern Connecticut State University, and freelance reporter for the Valley Independent Sentinel.
