With New Mill Rate, Taxpayers Will See Slight Decrease in Southington

Southington taxpayers will see a tax break in the coming year - but it still won't be much.

The Board of Finance on Wednesday evening set the mill rate for the 2013-14 fiscal year, unanimously approving a rate with a 0.02 mill decrease for tax bills that will be issued in July. 

"There will be about a $4 decrease for the average home," said Vice Chairman Joseph Labieniec. "The median home price in Southington is valued at $250,100, with the average assessed value of $175,000. For homes in this range, it would mean a reduction from $4,811 to $4,807."

Finance Chairman John Leary said the Wednesday mill rate approval is part of a formal process to end the budget cycle.

The Southington Town Council on Monday approved a $130 million budget that used the recommendation from the finance board as a base with no changes this year.

The mill rate in 2013-14 will be 27.46, down from 27.48.

The town council has ultimate authority on the final town budget, Leary said, and reminded members of the public that their decision was made after input from the Board of Finance and a public hearing, one which led many school supporters to come out and request restoration of $1.1 million in funds for the Board of Education.

Despite efforts from members of the Democrats, however, which included proposals to restore $300,000 and a second to take $150,000 from the capital improvement budget and use it instead to provide additional funds to the Board of Education, each vote failed 6-3 along party lines.

Finance member Anthony Casale Jr. noted Wednesday that the budget was not "cut" but reduced by that amount, leaving a $1.8 million increase over current spending for the Board of Education in 2013-14.

"The mill rate before us is essentially a flat mill rate," Leary said. "It is very comparable to what the town has been using in the current year. For practical purposes, this is a balanced budget for the fourth year in a row where the revenues equal expenses."

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