(Left to right) Seymour Board of Finance members Richard Demko, Beverly Kennedy, Jim Cretella and Lucy McConologue.
SEYMOUR –While not casting a formal vote, members of the Seymour Board of Finance on Wednesday (March 19) came to a “consensus” on a budget for fiscal year 2025 – 2026 that will be presented to residents at a public hearing on Tuesday (March 25).
The board members agreed on a $69.2 million budget, which carries a spending increase of $2.9 million, or 4.34 percent, above the current, $66.4 million budget.
The $69.2 million bottom line combines two budgets: $27.1 million for the town and $42.1 million for Seymour Public Schools.
The “consensus budget” is more than what First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis presented to the finance board March 5. Drugonis proposed a budget of $68.1 million, a $1.8 million increase, or 2.7 percent, over the current budget.
The consensus budget puts a new proposed mill rate at 28.29 mills. Drugonis’ budget proposal had the new proposed mill rate at 27.79 mills.
Seymour Board of Finance chairman Rich Demko said the budget and mill rate can change after Tuesday’s hearing.
The hearing is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday (March 25) at Seymour Town Hall.
Finance board members spent much of the meeting March 19 grappling over how much to allocate to the school district.
The school board initially approved a $42.9 million budget in January that carried a 7.9 percent increase.
Members of the finance board struggled whether to give the schools a 5.5 percent increase or a 5.9 percent increase.
They landed on a 5.9 percent increase which would give the school board an increase of $2.3 million.
Drugonis’ proposed budget gave the school board a 3 percent increase, or a $1.9 million increase.
Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton said a 5.5 percent increase is necessary just to maintain the status quo, and anything under that would mean cuts to personnel.
Compton said spikes in health insurance, utilities, transportation, state mandates and special education, along with staff salary increases, are the driving forces behind the budget increase.
If the finance board’s consensus budget was adopted today, the new mill rate would be 28.29 mills, a 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. That’s because the town went through a state-mandated revaluation last year.
The revaluation means the factors that make up the tax property formula – property assessments and the mill rate – have changed.
Possible Tax Bills
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said assessments increased an average of 43 percent.
The Valley Indy researched several single-family houses using the old data and the new data to compare tax bills.
Under a proposed mill rate of 28.29 mills, a 3,558 square-foot house on Brookfield Road assessed at $459,060 would pay about $12,986 in taxes next year.
That’s a $1,846 increase.
A 2,101-square-foot house on Colony Road assessed at $304,290 would pay about $8,608 in taxes next year. That’s an increase of $2,149.
A 1,360-square-foot house on Bungay Road assessed at $230,930 would pay about $6,553 in taxes next year. That’s an increase of $370.
Resident Reaction
A handful of residents attended Wednesday’s finance board meeting. Two residents asked the finance board to keep the budget as low as possible.
Resident Lori Pratt said her taxes are going to increase by $2,000 next year, thanks to her new assessment under revaluation.
“I want you to consider the elderly people in our town. I don’t care about myself, I care about the residents who are struggling to pay their electric bills and their grocery bills,” Pratt said. “Put through a reasonable budget the first time so we don’t have to go through three referendums.”
Resident Jack Jurkowski said his taxes will increase $924 next year under his new assessment.
“We’re getting hit with a double whammy with revaluation and on the motor vehicle side,” he said. “There are new positions added in this budget on both the town and school side and that’s a trigger for people. You have to be realistic about what voters will approve, and how many times do you want to vote on a budget?”
Each time the town holds a budget referendum, it costs the town $5,000, according to Drugonis. Last year, on the school budget alone, it took two tries to get voters to approve the current $39.8 million school budget, which carried a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year’s budget.
In Seymour, voters vote on the town and school budgets separately.
Next Steps
The finance board will cast a formal vote on the budget, following the hearing, and send that budget to the annual town meeting.
The town meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 2 at Seymour Town Hall.
A referendum has been scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 17 at the Seymour Community Center.
