MONROE, CT — Two large banners near the St. Jude School driveway beckoned drivers on Route 111 to turn into the parking lot and vote on the town budget Tuesday. That afternoon, a long line had formed at the polls.
“It’s been very busy. It’s been steady despite the rain,” the moderator, Sue Waters, observed.
By the end of the day, 2,249 people participating in the referendum approved the $108.19 million budget proposal by a vote of 1,156 to 1,093, according to unofficial numbers from the Registrars of Voters Office. Total turnout was around 16.61 percent of those eligible to vote.
It was a difficult year, with a state-mandated revaluation increasing the tax burden on residential homeowners and a school district with student enrollment bursting at the seams.
“First of all, I’m really happy it passed,” Superintendent Joseph Kobza said. “I’m well aware of the challenges that accompanied this year, but I’m also keenly aware of the challenges facing the district and we needed this to pass to get the work of the district done.”
“The budget vote in Monroe has always been a critical event for as long as I can remember,” First Selectman Terry Rooney said. “So much history with multiple referendums and annual challenges. This is my twelfth year being involved in the process and by far the most difficult.”
“The impact of the state-mandated revaluation is going to have a tax impact I’m not particularly happy about,” he continued. “When July arrives there will be challenges, however I am comfortable knowing that this administration mitigated the tax impact to our citizens as vigorously as possible. We made very difficult, well vetted and some unpopular decisions to create confidently the most fair townwide budget while battling a hyper challenging environment.”
To reduce the impact of the revaluation on taxpayers, the proposed mill rate was lowered from 38.27 to 28.67 mills and $4 million will be used from the undesignated fund balance to offset what residents pay.
Individual tax bills can be calculated by multiplying one’s assessed property value by the 28.67 mill rate — the rate the Board of Finance is expected to set after the referendum — and then dividing by 1,000.
“Although the budget that was passed tonight was higher than my original proposal, I recognize how strongly the people of Monroe felt during this referendum,” Rooney said. “A narrow pass of 63 votes and a below 17 percent turnout is far less of a response than we should see for a budget referendum, however the people of Monroe spoke by casting a vote. Everyone had an opportunity to have their voice heard and the result is a passing budget.”
“As challenging as this process was, I am proud as your first selectman to successfully complete and pass what is considered by Town Hall veterans, to be the most difficult town budget in the last two decades,” Rooney added.
The approved budget represents a 3.92 percent spending increase over the current budget with $74,700,763 for education, which is a 4.53 percent increase over the current $71,464,259 spending plan.
Municipal spending will rise from $31,873,849 to $32,523,469 or by 2.04 percent. The budget also includes $966,593 in contingency and other appropriations.
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