Residents have until May 11 to make a comment on Avon’s proposed town budget. The town has proposed a budget with a 4.68 increase in spending and a 3.47 percent hike in the tax rate.
AVON, April 22 – Residents in Avon have until May 11 to make their comments on the 2020-21 proposed budget. The Town Council voted unanimously on March 30 to authorize the Board of Finance to adopt a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
On March 5, the Town Council proposed a 2020-21 budget of $99.8 million with a spending increase of 4.68 percent, which if passed, would be the highest in the town since 2012 when the budget included a 5.56 percent increase in spending.
Spending increases in the town budgets over the last three years in Avon have been 2.09, 2.21 and 2.66 percent, respectively.
On March 21, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order which, in part, suspended the person budget adoption requirements for cities and towns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That also means there will be no budget referendum regarding the town budget.
The Board of Finance will hold a special meeting with the Town Council and Board of Education on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m., and details of the proposed budget will be presented to the BOF at this time.
The Board of Finance will hold a budget workshop with the Town Council and BOE on Monday, May 11 at 7 p.m. The BOF will consider adoption of the budget and setting of the mill rate.
To practice appropriate social distancing measures, these meetings are closed to the public to attend in-person. However, on each agenda, the town will provide instructions for the public to access the meetings virtually. Meeting materials will be posted on the town’s website prior to the meeting.
To facilitate these virtual meetings, the public is asked to submit any commentary and questions on the budget to the town in writing on or before May 11 at noon. Oral public comments will not be received during these meetings.
Commentary and questions can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed by U.S. mail to the Town Manager’s office at 60 West Main Street. Comments will be provided to the Board of Finance and will be included in the official meeting records.
The overall proposed town budget is $99.8 million, an increase of more than $4.4 million over the current budget. If passed, it would result in an increase in the mill rate of 3.47 percent. A year ago, with revaluation of property in town, the mill rate went up 4.94 percent.
The town portion of the budget is $27.1 million, an increase of $1.2 million or 4.92 percent.
The Board of Education’s proposed budget is $63.3 million, an increase of $2.7 million or 4.61 percent. The overall town budget includes an increase in sewer costs of $436,000 and a decrease of $40,000 in the capital improvement and debt service category.
Learn more about the respective proposed budgets at the town’s budget webpage.
