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Two Percent Referendum Turnout: North Branford's $53.98M Budget Stands

With just two percent turning out at the polls for the budget referendum question vote on May 14, the Town Council's recommended $53.98 million 2019-20 Town Budget will be adopted. As it stands, the new budget carries a mill increase of 0.07 mills. The Town Council, which is also North Branford's Finance Board, will convene Tues. May 21 to the set the new mill rate for fiscal year July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020.

The new budget bumps the town's mill rate up slightly next year, from the current rate of 33.39 mills to 33.46 mills.

The budget expenditure side calls for $15,638,570 for town government operations, $32,269,22 for Board of Education, $1,162,300 for capital improvements, $3,891,338 for debt service and $1,022,000 from the general fund balance for capital expenses, for a total bottom line of $53,983,433.

Revenue generated from taxes is anticipated to be $41,635,121 next year.

According to information from the Office of the Town Clerk, just 199 of the town's 9,664 registered voters came out to the polls on May 14, with a majority of 114 among those voters rejecting the budget as too high; followed by 76 who voted to accept the budget and nine who rejected the budget as too low.

By Town Charter, a turn out of 15 percent of the electorate is required for results to be actionable by the Town Council.

Results among the town's two districts showed 100 came out to vote at District One at Jerome Harrison Elementary School, where 36 accepted the budget; 59 rejected it as too high and five rejected it as too low. Of the 99 who voted in District Two at Stanley T. Williams Community Center, 40 accepted the budget, 55 rejected it as too high and four as too low.