Somers Residents: Raise Our Taxes

Raise my taxes

That is the message that a group of residents gave to the Board of Finance Monday night during the board’s final budget deliberation before the April 26 public hearing.

About 75 people packed into the smaller lower floor conference room at Town Hall to hear the fate of the proposed $19.33 million school and $6.72 million general government budgets. They were also concerned about how much the finance board would dip into the town’s undesignated fund balance account (its savings account) to offset a tax increase

The people, predominately parents who are part of the Citizens for Somers Educational Excellence group, told the board that they support increasing the tax rate by 1 mill if it meant that the surplus account would be used sparingly and that the school budget would be left as proposed.

After debating for nearly an hour, the finance board partially fulfilled their request.

In a 3 to 2 vote, with finance board Chairman James Persano and member Marilyn Pronovost voting against the proposal, finance board officials approved reducing the two budgets by $75,000 a piece, increasing the tax rate to 21.62 mills – or by 0.5 mills – and applying $473,625 of the town’s surplus to the revenue side of the budget.

If the budget is approved as proposed it would require an annaul tax increase of $125 on a property assessed at $250,000 or $175 on a property assessed at $350,000, according to budget documents.

The board's decision elicited some boos and harsh criticism from the crowd, many of whom said they were willing to pay taxes twice that increase and that the board is taking too much from surplus account, thus possibly hurting the town’s ability to maintain services in years to come.

“It’s too much,” resident Lisa Horan said after the vote. “Last year and the year before that the budget was approved by a 2 to 1 margin. Two years ago we showed our support in a non-binding vote that said we’d support an increase in taxes if it meant more money is devoted to education. They ask for our support and then they do this.”

Finance board Chairman James Persano initially recommended raising taxes by one mill and taking the balance from surplus. He later supported a proposal to increase the tax rate by 0.75 mills, as did Provovost.

“We have to solve the problems of tomorrow today,” Persano said. “We made a terrible mistake last year by not moving the mill rate, by keeping it flat. You always have to move the needle or you’ll continue to steal from your reserves.”

The board applied roughly $1.1 million from the town's surplus to the current municipal budget.

Member Thomas Mazzoli said that there are about 500 unemployed people in town who may not be in the room but do vote. He said this after recommending a 0.5 mill increase in taxes, taking $40,000 each from the school and town budgets and about $500,000 from the surplus fund.

Member Michael Parker said it would be irresponsible for the finance board not to lessen the tax burden and just send the proposal as is to the voters. He warned that it could be defeated and take several referenda before the town had its final budget for 2011-12. Instead, Parker proposed increasing the tax rate by 0.35 mills, cutting $350,000 combined from the school and town budgets and taking the remaining $400,000 balance from surplus. 

The extent of the proposed reduction to the school and town budgets made the audience balk. School board member Tim Potrikus with the school district said a $200,000 could mean the loss of 5 to 6 teachers

“If we want a good education system and keep classes sizes down then we’re going to have to pay the bill,” Potrikus said, after saying that the loss in state and federal grants, which were generated by taxpayers, means the decision whether and how much to pay is being determined more at the local level.

First Selectwoman Lisa Pellegrino said losing $150,000 from the town budget could mean limiting hours at the library or the transfer station.

After a bit more negotiating and fuming over what happened last year, Tax Collector Donna Doyker stood up in the crowd and said that although she has more people on payment plans than ever before, increasing taxes by 0.75 mills could be manageable for most.

Prior to the board voting on the budget package, including taking $473,625 from surplus, town Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Marcotte warned that it would drop the undesignated fund to below 10 percent. She recommended against taking that much from surplus.

“It’s disappointing and will have some repercussions,” resident Jen Griger said after the meeting.

The following is a list of tentative dates for important budget discussions and votes:

• April 26 – Budget Public Hearing at the Somers Elementary School
• May 10 – Annual Town Meeting at the Town Hall
• May 24 – Referendum