New Fairfield voters approve $61.5 million budget

NEW FAIRFIELD — The town’s recommended $61.5 million spending plan for 2022-23 passed Saturday’s referendum with about 60 percent of participating voter approval.

Board of Finance Chair Wes Marsh said he’s happy the budgets passed and called the outcome of the referendum “an impressive and notable victory for both the town and education budgets.”

With 17 percent voter turnout, the $48.2 million school budget passed by a 1,012-to-669 vote, while the nearly $13.3 million town budget passed by a 1,044to-637 vote.

“This affirmed that the taxpayers are in favor of what both budgets represent,” Marsh said. “The town will continue to provide, improve and add to services that the residents want.”

Superintendent Pat Cosentino said she, too, is pleased about the outcome.

“I am absolutely thrilled that the referendum passed and I am very thankful to the residents of New Fairfield for supporting our students,” she said. “I knew that it was going to be a tough vote, but our parents got out there and supported our schools, so I’m very happy about that.”

With $48.2 million in school funding, Cosentino said the district will be able to “continue the great work (it’s) started, as well as support the social-emotional and academic needs of kids — especially after the pandemic.”

The $61.5 million spending plan is expected to translate into a 3.11 percent tax rate increase — something that took the Board of Finance several meetings and hours of discussion to get to before moving the budgets forward.

Following several failed motions, the finance board eventually agreed to aim for 3.11 percent and achieve it by leaving the school and town budgets as presented, using $1.35 million of the town’s $2.4 million available bond premium and increasing interest income revenue by $150,000.

The anticipated tax increase would raise New Fairfield’s mill rate to 32.47. A mill is equal to $1 of tax for each $1,000 of assessment.

Marsh said compromise was key to moving the $61.5 million spending plan to a town vote.

“It definitely helped to convince four of the six voting members to not reduce either budgets and find other ways to lessen the tax increase,” he said. “It was a bipartisan vote, too.”

The town operating budget passed by a finance board vote of 5-to-1 and the school budget passed 4to-2, with Republican Thora Perkins voting opposed both times and Republican Claudia Willard voting against the school budget motion.

Marsh said there were two noticeable differences in this year’s budget process.

Not only were five of its nine members new, but the Board of Finance received more public comment than ever before — “almost all of which was totally in favor of not reducing either the town or education budgets and sending them to the voters as is,” he said.

Even though it resulted in “additional, much longer meetings,” Marsh said he hopes the high level of public participation in the budget process will continue.

The school budget — which includes roughly $38 million in operating expenses, nearly $5.2 million in debt service, $4.9 million for medical insurance and $93,885 in capital contributions — reflects an 8.11 percent year-over-year spending increase, while the town budget reflects a 3.15 percent increase.

With the budgets now approved, the Board of Finance plans to set the town’s 2022-23 mill rate during its Wednesday meeting.