Bolton voters adopt budget on 4th try

Jul. 13—BOLTON — After four attempts, the town finally has a budget for fiscal year 2022-23.

Voters Tuesday approved the $23.45 million proposed budget with a 2.7% spending increase by a 438-415 margin. It took four referendums for voters to pass a new budget.

"I'd like to thank those that carefully followed the process and were instrumental in creating and passing a budget — from people who were elected to civic-minded people who are only able to commit a small amount of time," First Selectwoman Pamela Sawyer said.

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Voters on Tuesday approved the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022-23 by a 438-415 margin.

HOW MUCH: $23.45 million, a 2.7% spending increase over last year.

TAX RATE: 39.99 mills; the Board of Finance will set the tax rate at its meeting tonight.

The approved budget is $23,446,598, a 2.7% increase, or $618,104, over the last fiscal year. The tax rate to fund it is 39.99 mills, which is a 1.42%, or 0.56 mills, increase in the tax rate over last year.

One mill equals $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

The new budget will immediately replace last fiscal year's budget, which the town had reverted to using at the start of the fiscal year on July 1, in the absence of a newly adopted budget.

Education is the largest portion of the new budget at about $15.16 million, an increase of 1.95%, or $289,752 over last year. The municipal budget is the next largest portion at about $6.43 million, an increase of 2.82%, or $176,368 over last year.

Voters rejected proposed increases of 3.6%, 3.2%, and 3% in the last three referenda.

To reach the 2.7% increase, the Board of Finance made total budget reductions of $212,000 — $64,000 to the town side, and $148,000 to education. The board doesn't determine which programs or services will be cut prior to the budget being adopted. That will now be up to the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education respectively.

Resident Nick Anthony, 40, whose 3-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son accompanied him and his wife to the polls in Ryba Hall at St. Maurice Church, said identifying which services would be cut beforehand could help boost voter turnout.

"If it's just numbers, it's really not very motivating," said Anthony, who voted to approve the spending plan. "It feels like that's necessary to make any type of informed decision."

Voter turnout has affected the results of Bolton's budget referendums, which have been narrow in recent years.

Tuesday's outcome had a difference of just 23 votes, making it the eighth referendum in as many years to be decided by 50 votes or less, referendum statistics show. Three more referendums were decided by 100 votes or less during that same span.

After a record-low number of residents showed up to the polls in this year's first referendum, voter turnout rose gradually with each subsequent referendum.

The fourth referendum had 853 votes — or about 23% of the electorate in Bolton — compared to 17% in the first referendum, which had the lowest voter turnout in the past eight years.

"The magic number is over 400 — when the 'yes' votes get over 400, we're able to pass a budget," Sawyer said.

Resident Jaymeen Ray, 47, said he'd like to see the town hold a forum to discuss each iteration of the proposed budget to solicit opinions from residents.

"Maybe people can look into finding ways how we can find a common ground between people who want to vote a 'yes' or a 'no,'" Ray said. "That way everybody feels OK at the end of the day."

According to the Board of Finance, residents who own a home with a fair market value of $200,000 will pay $5,599 in taxes this fiscal year under the new tax rate. For a home with a $300,000 fair market value, that amount would be $8,398.

A $400,000 home would pay $11,197; a $500,000 home would pay $13,997; and a $600,000 home would pay $16,796.

The Board of Finance will meet tonight to set the tax rate, Chairwoman Emily Bradley said. A supplemental tax bill will be sent to residents in October if the adopted mill rate varies from the one the town is currently using.