SEYMOUR — Residents will cast ballots May 4 on a proposed $59.2 million budget for fiscal year 2021 – 2022.
But before the budget referendum happens, the annual town meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday (April 22) at Seymour Middle School, 211 Mountain Rd.
Voters will then head toward the polls during a town-wide referendum scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 4 at the Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine St.
The referendum was initially scheduled for May 6, but had to be pushed back two days due to a COVID-19 vaccination clinic being held by the Naugatuck Valley Health District, according to First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis.
Drugonis is hopeful residents turn out for both the town meeting and referendum.
“Residents should vote because it’s their tax dollars,” Drugonis said. “In the past, only 10 percent of Seymour’s taxpayers have come out to vote.”
Drugonis presented her budget earlier this year to the Board of Finance, which reduces the mill rate.
“The budget that I presented to the Board of Finance was a fair budget,” she said. “For decades, the state legislature has kicked the can down the road and we the taxpayers are now paying the price for that now. This budget does not do that. We have lowered the mill rate without cutting services, while continuing to move the town forward.”
If the budget is approved by voters, the mill rate will decrease from 36 mills to 34.71 mills. However, even though taxes will go down for some residents, others will remain status quo and some residents will see an increase in their individual property assessments, due to a recent town-wide revaluation of real estate.
Under the proposed lower mill rate, a resident with a house assessed at $200,000 will pay $258 less in annual taxes, from $7,200 to $6,942.
Drugonis said the budget, which had to account for “unfunded state mandates,” including equipment associated with the new police accountability bill, moves Seymour forward in terms of continued improvements to town roads and infrastructure, makes technological advances and continues to fund long-term capital improvements.
The overall budget represents a spending increase of about $1.1 million, or 1.8 percent, more than the current budget. Drugonis attributed that to increases in employee health insurance and trash and recycling fees, as well as 2.5 percent raises for town employees.
In part, the proposed budget includes $45,000 for a part-time Economic Development Director; brings additional seasonal employees onboard to assist the public works department and gives $4.4 million to the police department which includes funding for a second deputy police chief along. with some new equipment associated with a new police accountability bill.
There’s also $35.4 million slated for the board of education, which represents a 2 percent increase, and an additional $300,000 for capital improvement items, including a new dump truck and storage building for public works and police body and dash cameras (as mandated by the new police accountability bill).
More information about the budget can be found on the town’s website.
