Few Comments Offered On Derby’s $37 Million Budget

If Derby residents are worried about a steep increase in taxes next year, they didn’t show it during a public hearing on the proposed 2012 – 2013 budget Monday.

Just three members of the public offered comments on the budget, along with Derby Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Tracy.

The tax board is proposing a $37.2 million budget that would raise the mill rate by 8.7 mills, to 36.6 mills.

Based on past statements from tax board members, the budget would raise taxes on the average residential property owner anywhere from $100 to $300.

But since Derby underwent a state-mandated revaluation in 2011, some residents are complaining their taxes will increase by $1,000 or more.

Click here for instructions on how to figure out whether your taxes are going up, down or staying the same.

The tax board adopted a preliminary budget Thursday, May 17.

The most pointed comments about the proposed budget came from former Mayor Marc Garofalo, who criticized Mayor Anthony Staffieri’s administration for failing to present a mayor’s recommended budget to the tax board.

Earlier in the day Monday, Staffieri said he and Phil Robertson, his chief administrative assistant, were still formulating their version of the budget.

The tax board is scheduled to adopt a budget Wednesday.

It’s completely irresponsible that this administration has not put forth a budget and they are once again AWOL in this process,” Garofalo said.

This year’s budget process has been complicated by the controversy surrounding the departure of finance director Henry Domurad.

But Garofalo said Staffieri’s administration has walked away from the budget process, leaving the elected tax board members to fend themselves.

Here we are at the end of the process and we really don’t know what the impact of this (budget) is going to be,” Garofalo said. It’s not fair to you folks, who have to deliberate on this, to not receive any help from the staff. They should be guiding you.”

Derby resident Heike Hasselt said Derby taxes are outpacing cost of living increases. 

These increases need to be a lot lower than what they currently are,” Hasselt said.

Photo: Eugene DriscollDerby business owner Thomas Harbinson pointed out irregularities in the revaluation process. He owns two vacant parcels next to his business off Route 34 near North Avenue. The two parcels are about the same size.

One vacant parcel lost 50 percent of its assessed value in the revaluation, while the other went down just 15 percent.

I don’t really understand that kind of disparity,” Harbinson said.

Harbinson was also worried about what the mill rate increase could do to his personal property taxes — that is, the tax levied on his machinery, equipment and vehicles he uses for work.

Harbinson, who lives in Shelton, said Derby must grow its grand list.

We have some properties that are very underutilized in their contributions to the grand list,” he said.

Tracy, the school superintendent, pointed out that the school district is asking for a $421,000 increase in a combined school-city budget of about $37 million. Meanwhile, there is a proposed spending increase of $1 million on the city side of the budget, Tracy said.

Tax board member Judy Szewczyk read a letter from Derby Third Ward Alderman Ken Hughes.

Hughes said he heard from constituents who are angry that their taxes could go up between $400 and $600 next year — that’s more than the $100 to $300 range that has been mentioned by tax board members. 

Hughes’ own property tax will increase $1,089 if the budget is adopted as is.

I would just to make sure this board is aware of the true effect of the proposed mill rate increase,” Hughes said in the letter read by Szewczyk. It will have a devastating effect on some families who will see a 20 percent increase on their tax bills this July.”

While the tax board is scheduled to adopt a budget at a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday (May 23) in Derby City Hall, the tax board has already scheduled a meeting, if needed, for Wednesday, May 30 at 7 p.m.

The budget must be completed by the end of May, as per the Derby Charter.

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