Stonington borough budget to be voted on Saturday

Stonington — The proposed 2018-19 borough budget of $1.25 million shows a 5.4 percent, or $64,382, increase in spending compared to the current budget.

The proposed tax rate is 2.9 compared to the current 2.85, an increase of 0.05 mill.

The small decrease despite a spending hike is due to the revaluation, which showed a grand list increase of 4.6 percent. To accurately determine whether the proposed budget would increase their tax bill, property owners must multiply their new assessment by the proposed tax rate and then compare that to their current tax bill.

Borough Warden Jeff Callahan said that for a homeowner with the median assessment of $460,000, the proposed budget would increase their borough taxes by $22.

The budget calls for no new employees. Some of the increase is the result of a $7,000 increase for health insurance, a $9,000 increase for the every-decade inventory of trees, a $10,000 increase in the building fund and a $20,000 hike in the infrastructure reserve fund.

The budget will be voted on at the annual borough meeting, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Borough Hall.

Also at the meeting, residents will be asked to approve the borough’s five-year capital improvement plan.

The proposed plan by budget year is as follows:

2018-19: Repair Main Street between High and Broad; pave Bayview from Elm to the Velvet Mill, evaluate Elm Street footbridge structure, $80,000

2019-20: Pave Denison Avenue and Pearl Street, $90,000

2020- 21: Repair upper Cliff Street and Diving Street; repoint Wayland’s Wharf seawall, $100,000

2021-22: Pave Chesebro Lane and Harmony Street, $100,000

2022-23: Repave lower Water Street, $100,000