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Deep River Votes 3-1 in Favor of Budget

Deep River’s $16,993,355 town and schools budget for fiscal year 2018-’19 was approved by the approximately 100 residents voting in the annual Town Budget Meeting on May 21. The approved budget shows an increase of $195,742 or 1.17 percent over the current budget.

“I was very glad at the end result. The vote was not close,” said Deep River First Selectman Angus McDonald. “We worked pretty hard on it and it was a pretty good budget.”

The final vote tally was 79 “Yes” to 25 “No.”

Following the town meeting and vote, Board of Finance Chairman George Eckenroth called a special meeting at which the Board of Finance unanimously voted to increase the 28.92 mill rate by half a mill or 1.73 percent, setting the new mill rate at 29.42.

McDonald said the town considered the uncertainty in state funding when setting the mill rate.

“I don’t know that we’re going to get everything that we’re told we’re going to get, so we’re trying to prepare for that” without having to issue mid-year supplemental tax bills, McDonald said.

“We did not build in the amount [of state funding] we were originally going to...and we’re going to hope, that at least this year, the state’s promises follow through” said McDonald.

McDonald acknowledged that Deep River residents have expressed concerns about what some see as years of underfunding some of the town’s infrastructure, including the town equipment. McDonald hopes the newly approved budget will both add to the town’s reserve fund (the town added a $200,000 increase in this year’s budget) and that it will help improve the town’s infrastructure.

“We’re trying our best to build that up again without taking on a whole lot of debt,” said McDonald.