Full Text:

Tax Rate Rises One Mill

The Legislative Council Tuesday officially set the tax rate for the 1999-2000

fiscal year at 27.9 mills, a one mill increase.

That means a house valued at $250,000, which would be assessed at $175,000,

will have to pay $4,883 in local property taxes next year -- an increase of

$175.

The town recently approved a $62.1 million budget which represents a 3.7

percent increase.

The town may still receive more revenue from Hartford under a proposed bill in

the General Assembly. The state's Appropriation Committee has made a

recommendation that would give towns additional revenue beyond what has been

presented in Gov John Rowland's plan. Under this plan, Newtown could receive

between $300,000 and $400,000 in additional revenue.

However, since the tax rate has already been set, that money cannot be

included in the budget, unless it were put in by a special appropriation, a

move the council's finance committee has considered. If no special

appropriation is made, the additional state money would be considered surplus

at the end of the year, Finance Director Ben Spragg said.