SEYMOUR — Here are the results from the May 1 referendum on the school and town budgets in Seymour:
QUESTION 1: Town budget of $26,853,952
Yes: 953
No: 736
QUESTION 2: School budget of $41,340,139
Yes: 888
No: 804
The story continues after the photo.
Seymour Board of Finance chairman Rich Demko and finance board member Beverly Kennedy discuss budget results.
Voters approved a $68.2 million town and school budget for fiscal year 2025 –2026 during a second referendum Thursday (May 1) at the Seymour Community Center.
The first referendum was held April 17, where voters rejected both the town and school budgets. The Seymour Board of Finance then trimmed nearly $300,000 from the budgets and sent it back to voters.
More voters showed up for this second referendum. Out of 11,728 registered voters in Seymour, about 14 percent cast ballots Thursday (May 1). The first budget referendum drew about 10 percent of the town’s registered voters.
The approved school budget carries an increase of $1.6 million, or 3.9, over the current budget. The approved town budget carries an increase of $260,447, or 0.98 percent, over the current budget.
The school budget passed by 84 votes.
“I am so thankful to the parents and the school community and the people of the town who came out and supported us,” Superintendent Susan Compton said. “It’s so important for the board of education budget to have passed because our children’s future depends on this. The town is only as good as its schools and our children are our most precious assets.”
Compton said the school board will meet at some point to make final adjustments to the budget. This is necessary because the school budget was previously reduced by $750,000 at the annual town meeting, and another $25,000 by the finance board following the first referendum defeat.
The school board held a meeting earlier this week listing what reductions would be necessary to meet the $41.3 million bottom line. Some of the reductions included eliminating the high school French program, the STEM program, several new staff positions, student supplies and a shared high school/middle school music teacher.
The school board initially requested a budget with a $3.1 million, or 7.9 percent, increase over its current budget.
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis was pleased that both budgets passed.
“Now it’s time to mend all the fences, mend all the relationships and start working together and bring Seymour back to the small community with the big heart that it was,” Drugonis said. “It’s not the town against the schools. It’s not seniors against the students. It’s one town, one budget. We thank everyone who came out.”
Comments on Facebook pages were toxic in the runup to the two votes.
Under the new mill rate of 27.72 mills, a 3,558 square-foot single-family house on Brookfield Road assessed at $459,060 would pay about $12,725 in taxes next year. That’s an increase of about $1,585.
A 2,101-square-foot single-family house on Colony Road assessed at $304,290 would pay about $8,434 in taxes next year. That’s an increase of about $1,975.
A 1,360-square-foot single-family house on Bungay Road assessed at $230,930 would pay about $6,401 in taxes next year. That’s an increase of about $238.
