Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis on March 5.
SEYMOUR – First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis proposed a $68.1 million budget March 5 that carries a spending increase of $1.8 million, or 2.7 percent.
The proposed budget is under review by members of the Seymour Board of Finance.
If the Drugonis budget was adopted today, the new mill rate would be 27.79 mills, a steep decrease from the current mill rate of 36.84 mills.
However, comparing the current mill rate to the proposed mill rate is like comparing apples to oranges.
The newly proposed budget contains new property assessment data as required by revaluation, a process that happens every five years under state law.
Hey Now, What’s That?
Revaluation makes figuring out how much you’ll pay in taxes a little tricky, because all the numbers used in the property tax calculation have changed.
The first step is to dig out your most current tax bill which will show the current mill rate (36.84). Look at how much you paid.
To calculate your new (potential) tax bill for comparison, look up the new assessment of your property, and multiply it by the newly proposed mill rate (27.79), and then divide by 1,000.
Your answer is how much you could pay in taxes if the Drugonis budget was adopted today.
Finally, compare your new answer to your old tax bill.
Keep in mind it’s still early in the budget process, so the Drugonis budget could change by the time it goes to voters in the spring.
Drugonis said revaluation caused homeowners’ assessments to increase by 40 to 60 percent.
On average, assessments increased about 46 percent, Drugonis said.
Kurt Miller, the town’s chief administrative officer and town treasurer, said residents received letters earlier this year showing their old and new assessments.
More Details
“I think it’s a reasonable budget,” Drugonis said. “I cannot speak for everybody in town, but inflation is at 3 percent.”
Seymour Finance Board Chairman Rich Demko said the board could vote on a budget at its March 19 meeting.
In Seymour, residents get the final say on the budget at the annual budget referendum held later this spring.
Drugonis’ $68.1 million bottom line combines two budgets: $27.16 million for the town and $40.96 million for the Seymour Public Schools. The combined bottom line increases spending by $1.8 million, or 2.7 percent, over the current, $66.36 million budget.
Under Drugonis’ proposal, spending increases by $568,979 on the town side of the budget, and $1.2 million on the education side.
Drugonis’ school budget proposal is $1.9 million short of what the school board requested ($42.9 million). The school board included a projected 20 percent increase for health insurance benefits in its budget.
However, Drugonis projected a 10 percent increase for insurance. Both the town and school employees are on the same insurance plan. Officials are still shopping around for the best rate, so that percent increase could change.
The school board had requested a 7.9 percent funding increase. Drugonis said she used a 3 percent increase for the school budget as “a placeholder” in order to come up with a proposed mill rate.
Here’s a breakdown of the items driving the overall $1.8 million increase in Drugonis’ proposed budget:
*General government, sanitation: $102,933
*Utilities: $78,827
*Employee benefits: $324,969
*Board of Education: $1.2 million
*Capital fund: $140,000
Drugonis’ budget includes salary increases between 2 to 3 percent for town employees.
It also adds a full-time accounts payable clerk, and a floater position to cover the town clerk and tax collector’s offices when needed.
A $10,000 stipend for the emergency management director was also added, making the volunteer position a paid one.
Other budget highlights include $4.6 million for the police department; $2.8 million for employee health insurance; $1.9 million for public works: $1.6 million for garbage collection; $571,617 for community services (recreation/senior center); $405,282 for the town library; and $348,200 for the fire department.
FYI
The Valley Indy selected a few Seymour houses at various locations to look at what a tax bill could look like if the First Selectwoman’s budget was passed today.
Under Drugonis’ proposed mill rate of 27.79 mills, a 3,558 square-foot house on Brookfield Road assessed at $459,060 would pay about $12,757 in taxes.
A 2,101-square-foot house on Colony Road assessed at $304,290 would pay about $8,456.
A 1,360-square-foot house on Bungay Road assessed at $230,930 would pay about $6,417 in taxes next year.
