Capping a yearslong trend of continually dwindling voter turnout, less than eight of 100 qualified taxpayers turned out ahead of and on April 26 to pass Newtown’s 2022-23 budget requests along with appropriations for the Newtown High School HVAC and Edmond Town Hall parking lot projects.

Of the town’s 18,953 registered voters, only 1,473 cast a vote, either in person or by absentee ballot, a 7.77% turnout.

Last year the turnout was 8.98%, and while a 2020 budget referendum did not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the Legislative Council was authorized to pass the budget due to the pandemic), the 2019 budget referendum was passed with a 17% turnout; in 2018, the turnout was 15.7%; and in 2017, the turnout was 19.9%.

The Board of Selectmen proposal of $46,891,399, a 7.7% spending increase was passed 1,012 to 460, representing a $3,369,543 increase over the approved 2021-22 budget of $43,521,856.

An advisory question on whether the town budget should be higher if it did not pass was 367 Yes to 1,039 No.

Following a reduction approved by the Legislative Council, the BOE proposal of $82,134,639 — a 3.1% or $2,436,941 increase over the current $79,697,698 budget — was approved 924 to 546.

An advisory question of whether the school budget should be higher if it did not pass was 530 Yes to 898 No.

This means that voters have approved an overall 2022-23 budget request totaling $129,026,038, representing a 4.7% or $5,806,484 increase over the current year’s $123,219,554 budget.

The mill rate will increase from 34.65 to 34.67, a .02 mill or .07% tax increase — less than one-tenth of one percent. A mill represents one dollar for every $1,000 in taxable property.

The voters also approved underwriting $850,000 for the Newtown High School ventilation systems and HVAC renovations by a vote of 1,091 to 377; and $600,000 for improvements to the Edmond Town Hall parking lot by a vote of 1,045 to 423.

Officials React

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal expressed pleasure in the fact that the budgets passed, but disappointment in the low turnout. He noted that voter turnouts on budget referendums were at roughly 20% when he first took office, but are now down to less than 8%.

“With 19,000 voters, we heard from less than 1,500,” said Rosenthal. “I do appreciate the folks who came out to vote, and the folks who work the polls and were there from 5 am to 9 pm. I appreciate their dedication to the democratic process.”

Rosenthal said that as a town official, all he can do is “put the information out there, continue to be transparent, and hope that through those efforts” the town will get more engagement on budget referendums.

Rosenthal said he was “glad we can move forward” and noted that the “mill rate is in check.” Rosenthal said the current mill rate is “slightly lower than it was three years ago.”

“It’s not lost on me that people are struggling, with inflation taking a big bite out of their household budgets,” said Rosenthal. “Even with the small mill rate increase, residents will see higher motor vehicle bills.”

With the scarcity of new vehicles due to global distribution issues, used vehicles are commanding a higher price than normal, which means higher values for vehicles on the grant list, said Rosenthal.

However, the first selectman is expecting those higher prices to course correct in the future, and the town will be placing a lot of the expected extra revenue into the fund balance instead of using it in this year’s budget, which would need to be made up in future budgets. Rosenthal noted that the state budget, though not yet approved, has a proposal for a state-wide mill rate of 29 mills on automobiles, which could help residents.

“It’s time we start moving away from taxes on vehicles,” said Rosenthal.

Legislative Council Chairman Jeff Capeci said that he has “been through this process many times over the years, but was surprised that “this year there was very little engagement by the residents during the budget process.”

“In past years when this is the case, the budget passes with low voter turnout,” said Capeci. “Yesterday was no exception. While I would prefer to have more residents weigh in on the annual spending plan, the low turnout could have been anticipated. Most budget meetings are recorded or livestreamed to make it easier for residents to follow the process; these advances have not driven more people to the polls. I will ask members of the public as I interact with them around town to try to better understand why so many stayed at home.”

Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue expressed that she was “extremely pleased” with the passing of the school budget.

“The vote shows that the voters support our continuing efforts to support the school system with appropriate resources and staffing while continuing to have a positive and long-term impact on the teaching and learning environment,” said Rodrigue.

Board of Education Chairman Deborah Zukowski thanked the voters and town leaders for their support of the Board of Education budget.

“We will continue to be good stewards of the education for Newtown’s children, ensuring that each has the opportunity to flourish,” said Zukowski.

In a note to The Newtown Bee “Letters Hive,” Democratic Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton also thanked those who either filed absentee ballots, or reported to the Middle School to cast ballots in person on April 26. She also questioned in view of the trending lower voter turnouts, if it might be time for the community to consider changing its automatic referendum process.