For the first time in years, the turnout for a budget referendum was higher than the previous year, albeit only slightly. Nonetheless, voters who cast ballots for the 2023-24 town and school budget requests endorsed both — as well as authorizing bonding for the three capital project requests.

According to Democratic Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton, 1,720 out of 18,753 eligible voters participated, with 1,628 voting in person on April 25 and 62 voting absentee.

That represents an 8.8 percent turnout, marking an increase from the 2022 turnout of 7.7 percent. About 250 fewer taxpayers participated last year, as 1,473 votes were cast.

This is a small reversal to a years-long trend. In 2021, the turnout was 8.98 percent; and while a 2020 budget referendum did not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the Legislative Council was authorized to pass the budget), the 2019 budget referendum was passed with a 17 percent turnout; in 2018, the turnout was 15.7 percent; and in 2017, the turnout was 19.9 percent.

The bottom line for the now adopted municipal budget is $47,526,140 — a $634,741 or 1.4 percent spending increase over the 2022-23 adopted budget. Note the municipal budget includes debt service for all school capital projects.

The adopted school budget bottom line is $85,069,651 — a $2,935,012 or 3.6 percent increase over the current adopted budget.

The total combined budget requests total $132,595,791, a $3,569,753 or 2.8 percent increase over the combined current budgets. With passage of the budget, property owners will see an estimated tax rate increase of 1.29 percent at a new proposed mill rate of 26.24.

The legislative council will presumably set the official 2023-24 mill rate on May 3. A mill equals $1 in taxation for every $1,000 in taxable property.

The current mill rate is 34.67. The 2023-24 mill rate has been adjusted due to increased property values from the latest revaluation.

The municipal budget proposal passed, 1,088 yes to 625 no. That budget request includes all debt service on capital bonding — including on borrowing for all school district projects.

An advisory question, rendered irrelevant by passage of the town budget on whether the total budget should be a larger amount if it fails at referendum, received 390 yes votes and 1,253 no votes.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said he was pleased that the budget passed “despite underwhelming turnout.”

“Even if we’re up from a low of 7 percent, there’s still 9 out of 10 people not weighing in,” said Rosenthal. “It’d be nice to have more engagement at the ballot box. A lot of time and effort goes into the budget and I’m glad it passed. Things can be thrown into disarray when we have to go back and make changes to the budget, but it would be nice if more people were weighing in.”

While Legislative Council Chairman Jeff Capeci expressed disappointment that less than ten percent of eligible Newtowners voted, he was pleased that budget passed as well as the appropriations for much-needed repairs to town and school buildings.

“Now that the budget season is finished, the Legislative Council will continue its work on ordinances as well as a policy for the Board of Education Non-Lapsing Fund with both the Board of Education and the Board of Finance,” said Capeci.

School Budget Reflections

The school budget also passed, 991 yes to 722 no. An advisory question, rendered irrelevant by passage of the school budget on whether the total budget should be a larger amount if it fails at referendum, received 572 yes votes and 1,097 no votes.

Superintendent Chris Melillo thinks the voters responded to “a fair budget.”

“This budget will support our students and ensure that they continue to reach their highest potential,” Melillo said.

Board of Education Chair Deborra Zukowski expressed appreciation to those who voted.

“The superintendent, his staff, and the members of the Board of Education worked together to present a fiscally-responsible budget that provided for the education we felt best served our students,” said Zukowski.

“We recognize that the current economic conditions require trade-offs and respect the work of the Board of Finance and Legislative Council in their efforts to balance those trade-offs,” the school board chair added. “The Board of Education will continue to work with the Superintendent to help try to minimize the effects on our classroom instruction and teachers’ professional development. Thank you to the community for passing the budget and for your continued support of our schools and, most importantly, our students.”

A question on the funding for the municipal center roof passed, 1,168 yes to 539 no.

A question on the funding for an HVAC project at Newtown High School passed, 1,178 yes to 535 no.

Finally, a question on the design work for an HVAC project at Newtown Middle School passed, 1,221 yes to 483 no.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.