Members of the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation are divided along party lines over how much money to allocate for next year’s budget.
The five Republicans on the tax board are pushing for a tax rate increase of .9 mills. That would give Derby Public Schools a budget-to-budget increase of 3 percent. It would raise taxes next year on a property assessed at $160,000 by $142.
The five Democrats on the tax board support a tax rate increase of 1.3 mills. That would give the schools a 4 percent increase and raise taxes by $208 on average.
The school district had requested a 7.3 percent increase in funding.
Tax Board Chairwoman Judith Szewczyk said Wednesday the tax board is expecting to receive more information from the school district as to what the different funding levels could do to the school district.
The tax board is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers in City Hall to adopt a preliminary budget.
That meeting will feature public comment at the start of the meeting, Szewczyk said.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 17 in Derby City Hall at 1 Elizabeth St.
The five Republicans on the tax board are: Szewczyk, Jeremy Bell, Carolyn Duhaime, Mark Nichols and William Nelson-Cummings.
The five Democrats are: David Anroman, James Butler, Timothy Conlon, Anita Duggato and Carlo Malerba, Jr.
