A record number of towns had or will have a town budget referendum this budget season.  A little over half of Connecticut towns, or 85 towns, are referendum towns this year.

 

Spending increases are lower this year.  The median approved spending increase for a referendum town to date is 3.8%.  It was 5% last year and 5.3% the year before that.  The economy is causing citizens to put more pressure on town budgets.  Additionally, revaluations have shifted more of the tax burden onto homeowners and this usually results in a town tightening their belts further.  50 towns are either having a revaluation or phasing in a prior revaluation this year.

 

Although spending increases are lower this year, the median effective tax rate increase is about two-thirds of a percent higher this year compared to last year.  That is because the towns received a huge increase in funding from the state last year and that helped lower last year's tax increases.

 

Among the towns having a referendum this week are Watertown and West Hartford on Tuesday.  Both towns are proposing close to a 7% spending increase.  The proposed Watertown budget carries a 9.4% tax rate increase, down from 11.6% in the first referendum.

 

Bill Generous

Windsor, CT