ANSONIA – The Ansonia Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Wednesday (May 27) to approve a $69.1 million budget and send it to voters for approval.
A referendum is scheduled for 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday, June 1, at the Ansonia Armory (5 State St).
The Aldermen’s budget contains a mill rate of 30.35 mills. That’s a 1.8 mill increase, compared to the current mill rate of 28.55.
Scroll down to see how that could impact your tax bill.
Ansonia Mayor Frank Tyszka said there will be a public presentation 1 p.m. May 28 at the Ansonia Senior Center (65 Main St) to talk and answer questions about the proposed budget.
Administration officials have held two prior presentations at the senior center to talk about the budget.
At the referendum, voters will be asked to consider the city-side and school-side budgets. Voters can vote yes or no to each budget separately.
If you vote against a budget, you can also select whether the proposed budget is ‘too high’ or ‘too low.’
The referendum is being triggered because the city’s charter requires one if a budget contains an increase of 3 percent or more in ‘net taxes to be collected.’
Budget Details
The proposed city-side budget is $30,534,066. That’s an increase of $1,027,949 over the current budget of $29,506,117.
The proposed school-side budget is $38,612,089, the same as last year and the lowest number allowed by state law.
Click here for a recent budget story, including how the city plans to use $4.5 million in state aid which was recently approved.
Click here for a recent story about the school budget.
Elected officials and city finance staff have said the city needs a tax increase to create a sustainable budget. The city encountered financial troubles after a fuel cell deal collapsed last year, leaving the city on the hook for millions of dollars.
Tyszka, who was elected in November, has said his budget aims to fill budget holes relating to that deal.
Potential Tax Bills
If the budget were adopted without changes, a single-family home on Holbrook Street assessed at $180,000 would pay $324 more per year in taxes.
A house on Gardners Lane assessed at $248,000 would pay $446.40 more per year.
A house on High Acres Road assessed at $366,000 would pay $658.80 more per year.