SEYMOUR – Last week First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis unveiled a proposed $64.4 million budget that raises the mill rate.
Under Drugonis’ budget, the mill rate would increase from 35.59 mills to 36.74 mills. That is an increase of 1.15 mills.
If the budget was approved as is, a homeowner with a house assessed at $200,000 would pay about $230 more in taxes next year.
The budget is under review by the town’s finance board, and ultimately voters will get final say later this spring.
UPDATE: DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE BUDGET HERE.
The $64.4 million bottom combines two budgets: $26.5 million for the town, and $37.9 million for Seymour Public Schools. The combined bottom line increases spending by $2 million, or 3.3 percent over the current, $62.4 million budget.
Under the First Selectwoman’s proposal, spending increases $1.3 million on the town side of the budget, and $744,563 on the education side.
Drugnonis’ budget allocates a total of $37.9 million to Seymour Public Schools – a 2.2 percent increase, much less than what the school board requested.
The Seymour Board of Education in January approved a $40 million budget – a 7.5 percent increase (however, school officials told The Valley Indy this week that new and cheaper cost projections for health insurance has the school budget increase around 5 percent).
Seymour Board of Education Chairman Chris Champagne said a budget-to-budget increase of 2 percent is not enough money to operate the school district.
“A 2 percent increase will cripple us; there’s nothing beside staff cuts that’s going to result from that,” Champagne said. “Two percent is a dozen teachers. There’s going to be a lot of uncomfortable discussions if that’s where this lands.”
Drugonis urged the school board to take another look at the spending request. She noted last year the school district received a 5.2 percent increase, which she said included $800,000 for a miscalculation made by the district’s former business manager.
“We also gave the board (federal) American Rescue Plan Act funds which moved them out of their old building on Bank Street into a new central office at the high school. We’re also using more ARPA funds to put in a new HV/AC system at the high school,” Drugonis said. “I just feel the Board of Education really needs to go back and take a hard look at their budget and cut. I don’t think it’s fair to the residents of this town to give the board another 5 percent increase.”
Click here for a previous story on the Seymour school budget.
Drugonis presented her proposal to the Board of Finance during a budget workshop held Wednesday (March 15) at Seymour Town Hall.
Drugonis said a number of factors are driving a spending increase on the town’s side of the budget, including: a 15 percent jump in oil and gas prices; a 14 percent increase in the state’s Municipal Employees Retirement System; a 10 percent hike in utilities, and; an increase in garbage collection costs. Drugonis said the state is requiring the town to pay more per ton for disposal.
The budget also includes a 2.5 percent raise for all town employees, the result of a previously approved labor contract.
Drugonis said the budget increase was looking larger but the town – particularly human resources director Chris Pelosi – was able to negotiate a 22 percent spike in health insurance costs down to a 1 percent increase.
Drugonis’ budget also includes about $50,000 to upgrade online security in light of a cybercrime the town fell prey to last year, when it was bilked out of $375,000 in a phishing scam.
Other budget highlights include $4.6 million for the police department; $2.5 million for employee health benefits; $1.9 million for public works: $1.6 million for garbage collection; $488,863 for community services (recreation/senior center); $396,990 for the town library and $349,989 for the fire department.
“I think the budget I presented tonight is a fair budget in today’s society, especially with inflation being at 6 percent,” Drugonis said.
The finance board will now begin budget deliberations and make any tweaks before presenting it to residents at the annual town budget hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. April 4 at town hall.
Voters are scheduled to cast ballots during a budget referendum scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 4 at the Seymour Community Center, located at 20 Pine St.
The two budgets are presented as two separate questions on the ballot.
Board of Finance Chairman Bill Sawicki said the board has its marching orders.
“We are all in the same boat with this budget and no one likes to see their taxes go up, but everybody wants services and there has to be some sort of give and take,” he said. “We’re going to take a look at the numbers, and the Board of Education is looking to hopefully revise some of their numbers, too. “We’re walking a tightrope like we do every year, and we’ll do our best to be fair to the residents and the town departments.”
