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Voters pass budgets, turnout is
18%
May 9, 2006
Ridgefield’s $111-million budget for next year “passed
comfortably” in referendum voting on Tuesday, May 9, although
turnout was very low, Town Clerk Barbara Serfilippi said. Only 18.6%
of the town’s registered voters turned out to vote
Tuesday.
The passage of the $111-million combined town and
school operating budget will mean a tax increase of 3.46%, with the
mill rate going from 23.42 mills to 24.23 mills.
“I am not
happy about the turnout,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. “We are
happy with the results. It’s an indication that the people in this
town are satisfied with a 3.5% tax increase.”
The combined
budget represents a 5.07% spending increase over the current years’
appropriation.
The 5.07% spending increase is smaller than
the 3.46% tax increase needed to support it due to an increase in
the value of the town’s Grand List and a net projected rise in other
revenues — fees charged for services, investment income and the real
estate conveyance tax, which is set by the state.
Most of the
approved spending is in the $68.6 million school budget that the
Board of Education will use to operate the town’s 10 schools.
Another $27.4 million is allocated for operation of town departments
such as police, fire, highway, recreation and the town hall offices.
Some $15 million will go to debt service.
In passing all
questions on the ballot, voters also approved more than $3 million
in proposed capital spending on equipment purchases and construction
projects.
“I am pleased to see that the taxpayers have voted
to pass the budget and capital items,” Board of Finance Chairman
Marty Heiser said after the final votes were tallied. “I think it
reflects the hard work done by all of the town agencies to keep the
tax increase to 3.5%. The Board of Finance will continue to work to
restrain tax increases.”
The town departments got more
support than the school system, with the town budget passing 67% to
33% while the school budget was approved 59% to 41% — the only
question on the ballot to have less than 60% support.
Once
again, voters’ most enthusiastic support was for the road
construction, with the road question passing 70% to 30%.
The
results of the seven budget questions were:
•
Question 1 on the town’s $41,961,700 budget: 1,897 yes to 916
no.
• Question 2 on the school’s $68,653,285
budget: 1,654 yes to 1,130 no.
• Question 3 on
$294,300 for short-term expenditures including police vehicles, some
school projects and other town vehicles: 1,763 yes to 973
no.
• Question 4 on $753,000 for computer
upgrades, town hall improvements, engineering costs and construction
of a maintenance garage: 1,757 yes to 988 no.
•
Question 5 on $1,504,500 for roadwork and infrastructure
improvements: 1,932 yes to 832 no.
• Question 6
on $556,000 for vehicles and equipment, including a new ambulance
and Highway Department dump trucks: 1,668 yes to 1,079
no.
• Question 7 on $496,000 for school
improvement projects and equipment: 1,723 yes to 1,053
no.
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