Absentee Ballots Decide South Fire District Budget In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT – Middletown’s South Fire District budget of $7.1 million for 2024 passed by 12 votes after the referendum vote on Tuesday, June 13.

The $7.1 million is an increase to the South Fire District budget of $608,982 over its $6.5 million budget in 2023.

There was a total of 474 votes counted during the referendum vote.

The split was 231 yes votes and 231 no votes. The tie-breaker in the votes came from 12 absentee ballots who voted yes on the South Fire District budget referendum, making the final vote 243 yes and 231 no votes.

The approval of the referendum also establishes a tax rate of 4.160 mills for motor vehicle property and 5.311 mills for real estate and personal property for the tax year of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

According to the South Fire District, the motor vehicle property tax revenue and tax supplement is a calculation based on the Common Council’s approval of Mayor Ben Florsheim’s proposed 28.3 mill rate and the State of Connecticut motor vehicle 32.46 mill rate cap, allowing the South Fire District to collect motor vehicles taxes using a maximum of 4.16 mill rate.