Both Town and Schools Budgets Pass Second Referendum in Clinton
After both the town and Board of Education (BOE) budgets failed to pass the original budget referendum on May 13, the budgets had to be adjusted and voted on again at a referendum on May 27. Again, nearly 3,000 residents turned out to the polls, but this time, both budgets passed.
“We had a pretty good turnout—a little bit more than the first time,” said First Selectman Willie Fritz. “I think [the difference was] a little of the cuts that were made, a little that sometimes people don’t wake up until the budget fails, and a little that there were less absentee ballots due to the time restraints.”
The original, failed request was for a combined $49.8 million for 2015-’16, which represented an increase in spending of $1.38 million, or 2.86 percent, over current spending. The approved $49,292,818 budget plan represents a $883,792 or 1.8 percent increase compared to current spending.
When the budgets failed to pass at the May 13 budget referendum, the Board of Finance (BOF) had to adjust the budgets, trimming each back one percent, and then the budgets had to be presented at a public hearing on May 20, leaving just a week before the second referendum.
The original proposed 2015-’16 town budget was cut from $16,752,237 to $16,582,487, a 3.1 percent increase over current spending. That budget passed 1,610 to 1,330.
The BOE’s original proposed budget was $33,040,331; $330,000 was cut from that budget to decrease the 2015-’16 budget request to $32,710,331, a 1.2 percent increase in spending. The BOE’s budget passed 1,582 to 1,359.
With both budgets passing, the town’s mill rate will see a 0.5 increase, going from 26.26 to 26.77.
Here’s how to compute your taxes based on a home with an appraised value of $200,000, which is assessed at 70 percent (200,000 x .70 = 140,000). With the current mill rate of 26.26, your taxes would be $3,676.40 annually (140,000 x .02626). The new mill rate of 26.77 will increase your annual taxes by $71.40 a year to $3,747.80 annually (140,000 x .02677).
“It’s a little high for the 10 years I’ve been here—I don’t think we’ve had more than a 0.5 mil increase except for the reval year,” said Fritz. “In 2000, the mill rate was 26 and change and 15 years later, it’s 26 and change. The increase in the taxes you pay has nothing to do with our spending; the mill rate is directly related to the value of your property, so what’s changed is that property values have gone up considerably over the past 15 years, which is a good thing.”
Now that both budgets are in the books, the Town of Clinton is preparing to begin implementing the new budget. The tax assessor will prepare and mail the tax bills and capital projects will get underway.
The $4.2 million bond package, which includes road and streetscape improvements, as well as repairing the HVAC system at the Clinton Police Department, passed in the first referendum. The town is in the process of putting together the bid packages for milling and paving.
“Now we go to work,” said Fritz. “Once the bids come back, we’ll get started on the roads. Some of them are in pretty rough shape.”