Derby residents will see a slight decrease in property taxes under a “preliminary” budget approved by the Board of Apportionment and Taxation Tuesday (April 30).
The proposal — at $37,296,860 — would result in a tax rate of 35.34 mills. That’s a 0.16-mill reduction from the current budget.
Under the proposal, a taxpayer with a home assessed at $230,000 would pay $8,165 in taxes in 2013 – 2014, $36.80 less than this year for the same home.
“We’re maintaining the status quo, while keeping the city moving forward,” James Butler, the chairman of the tax board, said after the board voted Tuesday.
The public has a chance to weigh in on the proposal at a public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday May 7 at Derby City Hall.
The Board of Apportionment and Taxation plans to make its final vote on the spending plan at a meeting May 14.
During their meeting Tuesday the board held an executive session — a private discussion not open to the public — regarding unspecified “personnel” issues.
The board took no votes in executive session, and did not discuss what the executive session was about when they came back into public session.
Taxes
The slight tax decrease proposed Tuesday comes despite an overall increase in spending.
The 2012 – 2013 budget was approved at $37,050,868. The 2013 – 2014 proposal represents an increase of $245,992.
The tax rate reduction comes because Derby is budgeting for more non-tax revenue, according to Derby’s finance director, Thomas Thompson.
The tax board has been meeting since early March, reviewing proposals from individual departments.
The following are some of the individual department requests approved Tuesday:
- Board of Education: $16,163,663. That’s about a 1.9 percent increase over current spending, and in line with the school board’s budget proposal. Click here to read more about the request.
- Health Services: $161,905. That figure includes a reduction of $15,000 from the requested ambulance budget, bringing the line item to $40,000.
- Fire Marshal: $141,697. That’s the total amount requested by the department, which includes money to add new inspectors and a deputy fire marshal to the budget.
- Police Department: $3,497,904. That figure is a decrease from current spending, based on less money requested for overtime.
- Legal: $248,900
- Mayor’s office: $141,076
- Town clerk: $198,699
- Highway department: $1,542,853
Mayor Anthony Staffieri thanked the tax board members and Thompson for their “diligent work.”
“They city is proud of you,” Staffieri said.
Butler praised the board for its “bipartisan” effort.
“We worked here for the taxpayers,” Butler said.
