SEYMOUR – Members of the town’s board of finance are expected to approve a preliminary budget Wednesday (March 19) for fiscal year 2025 – 2026.
The finance board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday (March 19) at Seymour Town Hall to vote on a preliminary budget.
From there, the budget will go to the annual public hearing, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (March 25) at Seymour Town Hall.
At that time, residents will have an opportunity to voice any concerns or questions about the proposed budget.
Following the public hearing, the finance board can make any changes based on residents’ comments, according to finance board chairman Richard Demko. The finance board will then cast a final vote on the budget in order to move it to the annual town meeting.
The Board of Selectpersons at its meeting Tuesday (March 18) voted to set the annual town meeting for 6 p.m. April 2 at Seymour Town Hall.
The town meeting, hosted by the Board of Selectpersons, is required per the town charter. Changes could be made to the proposed budget, if at least 50 registered voters attend the meeting.
If at least 50 registered voters don’t show up, then the meeting is adjourned.
The final step is a townwide budget referendum vote on both the town budget and the school budget.
That’s been scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 17 at the Seymour Community Center.
The Board of Selectpersons at its meeting Tuesday (March 18) also approved three additional referendum dates if the budgets fail at the first referendum. Those dates are May 1, May 15 and May 29, with voting from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Seymour Community Center.
Copies of the budget will be available at Seymour Town Hall in the Town Clerk’s office, the Seymour Public Library and the Seymour Community Center. The budget will also be available online at www.seymourct.org.
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis presented a proposed budget of $68.1 million to the finance board on March 5. Drugonis’ budget carries a spending increase of $1.8 million, or 2.7 percent.
If the Drugonis budget was adopted today, the new mill rate would be 27.79 mills. The budget uses new assessments to calculate property tax bills.
Click here to read a previous Valley Indy story on the proposed budget here.
Drugonis’ proposed $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 had requested a 7.9 percent funding increase. Drugonis’ budget gives them a 3 percent increase.
The Valley Indy’s school budget stories can be read here and here.
