SEYMOUR — Both the town and school budgets were approved after a third townwide referendum Tuesday (May 19).

Here are the results:

Should the town budget of $27,488,459 be approved?
YES: 855
NO: 709

Should the school budget of $42,266,311 be approved?
YES: 843
NO: 723

About 10 percent of Seymour’s nearly 11,496 registered voters cast ballots. That’s roughly the same amount of voters who cast ballots during the previous referendums.

The $69.8 million budget voters approved Tuesday (May 19) represents an increase of $1.6 million, or 2.3 percent, above the current $68.2 million budget.

The combined budgets set the mill rate at 28.64. That’s an increase of .92 mills, or 3.3 percent, over the current mill rate of 27.72 mills.

The bottom line combined two budgets: $27.5 million for the town and $42.3 million for Seymour Public Schools.

The school budget represents an increase of 2.2 percent, or $926,172, over the current budget. The school board initially requested a $1.9 million funding increase.

The town budget represents an increase of 2.4 percent, or $634,507 over the current budget.

Under the newly set mill rate of .92 mills, a house on Brookfield Road assessed at $436,170 would pay $401 more per year in taxes next year.

A house on Colony Road assessed at $268,800 would pay $247 more per year in taxes.

A house on Bungay Road assessed at $195,790 would pay $180 more per year in taxes.

Reaction

Members of the Seymour Board of Finance met immediately after the results were in to officially set the budget and the mill rate for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said she was thankful.

“We are very thankful that both budgets passed, now we can get on and start doing things that we need to do to move our town and school forward,” Drugonis said. “We’re very happy people came out, but again in very low numbers,” Drugonis said. “There were more people online complaining about the budget than actually coming out and voting and being part of the process.”    

Seymour Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton also said ‘thank you.’

“I’m just so thankful that it finally passed and I want to say a special thank to the people that came out and voiced their opinions and their right to vote, and I just appreciate those that supported the school budget, as well as the town budget,” Compton said. “What’s most important is our children, our most precious asset.”

Compton said the district, based on the budget reductions from its initial funding request, sent out seven pink slips to first-year teachers. With the passage of the budget Tuesday, Compton said she will be able to bring five of those teachers back.   

Seymour Board of Finance Richard Demko also expressed his gratitude for the budget passage.

“I’m glad it passed and am really appreciative of all the hard work the Board of Finance put into this,” Demko said.