Please read this update on the FY 2010-11 Budget Season from Bill Generous of Windsor, CT.
As of the end of May 2010, 135, or about 80% of CT towns have adopted budgets for Fiscal Year 2010-11. The median spending increase of those budgets is 1.45% and they carry a median effective tax rate increase of 2.66%. Last year, 40.2% of CT towns had an effective tax rate increase of 0% or less. This year, only 14.4% of towns with adopted budgets have that level of tax change.
At least 80 towns will have had a binding town budget referendum before this budget season is over which is two short of the record high of 82 for Fiscal Year 2008-09. About one-third (27 of 82) of proposed budgets have been rejected by voters at binding town budget referendums to date.
So far, eight towns have adopted effective tax rate increases of 6% or above: Colchester, East Hartford, East Haven, Lyme, Plainville, Stratford, Waterford, and Windsor Locks. Towns such as East Windsor and Griswold will eventually be added to that list as the budget season winds down.
Enfield, Roxbury, and Voluntown have adopted budgets with spending decreases of greater than 2%. Although Plainfield is poised to join that group at a June 1st Town Meeting, it appears their spending decrease is in part achieved by an interpretation of Minimum Budget Requirements that is more aggressive than other towns have taken.
This will be the fourth year in a row that the median effective tax rate increase for CT towns will be less than 3%.
Bill Generous
Windsor, CT