Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis.
SEYMOUR — Four people at a public hearing Wednesday (April 3) said they support increased funding for Seymour schools.
“I really believe it’s imperative to maintain the (school) budget as presented to you,” said resident Janna Sirowich, the mother of two Seymour High School graduates and two students at Bungay School.
School Superintendent Susan Compton “has put together a thoughtful and careful budget to support the students and the goals of our schools,” Sirowich said.
Big Picture
The proposed budget for the 2024 – 2025 fiscal year totals $66.6 million and carries a 3.5 percent tax rate increase.
The bottom line combines two budgets: $26.6 million for the town, and $39.9 million for Seymour Public Schools.
The town side of the budget – that is, everything but education – carries a $590,501, or 2.27 percent, increase over the current budget.
The school side of the budget includes a $1.8 million, or 4.7 percent, increase.
If approved as is, the $66.6 million budget would raise the mill rate to 37.25 mills. That’s 1.27 mills more than the current 35.98 mills.
The owner of a house assessed at $300,000 would pay about $381 more in taxes next year.
A single-family house on 4 acres on Bungay Road assessed at $213,360 would pay $277 more in taxes next year.
A single-family house on .28 acres on Wood Street assessed at $139,720 would pay $177 more in taxes next year.
Tax bills are calculated by multiplying the assessed value (click this link to look up your address) by the mill rate and then dividing by 1,000. Don’t use the appraised value when calculating tax bills. Use the assessed value.
Public Comment
Resident John Lombardo asked the finance board to put out a simple budget summary for all residents to see prior to casting their votes at the annual budget referendum May 2.
“I support the budget as it is and I think the departments did their due diligence,” Lombardo said. “The challenge we have is explaining to people in a very clear and concise manner what needs to be done, what is mandated, what we’re looking to add and where some savings were made. We need to explain to the people how we got here, and need a couple bullet points on each budget (both the town side and education side).”
Chatfield-LoPresti School parent Cara Bordonaro said she’s been following the finance board’s budget meetings online, and that it was important to support the school budget in person.
Seymour Board of Education member Kristen Harmeling asked the finance board to not make any changes to the school board’s request.
“I definitely implore you to hold our budget as is,” Harmeling said. “We have really not been receiving budgets that help us keep pace with the needs of our students and the needs of our community. We can’t afford another 1.5 or 2 percent increase; it’s just not going to allow us to meet the needs of the students and the families we’re trying to take care of now.”
About 12 people attended the public hearing, which was held in Seymour Town Hall and carried live on Facebook.
The proposed budget next heads to the annual town budget meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. April 17 at the Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine St.
That meeting is hosted by the Seymour Board of Selectpersons. The board could recommend changes to the budget, but only if at least 50 registered voters attend the meeting. The town meeting ends with the board officially putting the budget to referendum.
Voters in Seymour get the final say on the budget at a referendum scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 2 at the Seymour Community Center. Voters will vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on both the town and school budgets, which will be posed as two separate questions on the ballot.
