Can Danbury afford school grant?

It was a relief to read the state will reimburse Danbury 80 percent of the career academy cost. As we all know, Danbury’s sales tax contributions to the state coffers is among the highest in the state, which I feel more than justifies this grant.

So I’ve read the career academy will cost at least $164 million, but with runaway inflation who knows where that will land, most likely it will be higher.

Danbury’s cost to taxpayers, I think, shouldn’t exceed $35 million. My question is, do we still need to borrow $208 million!? This newspaper has reported an average $40 per quarter increase in property taxes to cover the new budget. In the 2023/2024 budget the new career academy has to be funded for staff, supplies, maintenance, utilities,debt payments ... haven’t heard any mention of costs associated with this.

Could it be as high as $7 million a year or more? I’ve read the new property tax reevaluation will take effect in the April of 2023 quarter. With real-estate prices at all-time highs I would expect our quarterly contributions to parallel the runaway inflation. Will the mill rate drop?

I just have to say that as someone who was born, raised and lived in Danbury for the past 60 years, an affordable town, will the next five years of Danbury’s growth cost a three-bedroom homeowner a thousand a month in property taxes? If you reside in Ridgefield, Wilton, Redding or Weston this is to be expected, should we expect this in Danbury? Does anyone want this? Should the state do more to fund Danbury’s diverse education system?

It’s worth noting that Danbury’s education budget consumes 53 percent of the city’s total budget! Just something to chew on for a while.