Southington Budget Adoption Means Taxes Will Increase

SOUTHINGTON, CT — With town officials last week adopting town/school spending proposals for 2025-26, Southington taxpayers will have to pay more this summer when tax bills arrive.

In multiple votes on May 12, the Southington Town Council adopted a combined town/school budget of more than $188.46 million, a $7.6 million increase or 4.22 percent.

The 2025-26 spending plan is comprised of:

• A $53 million general government budget, which is about $1.38 million larger, or 2.66 percent.

This budget was approved by the council 8-0, \with Councilman Jack Perry, a Democrat, abstaining.

• A $121.9 million education spending package, which is $5.94 million larger or 5.12 percent.

This was approved 6-3 along party lines, with Democrats Perry, Christopher J. Palmieri, and Valerie A. DePaolo casting the "no" votes.

Democrats had sought the reinstatement of $500,000 of board of education spending that was cut by the Southington Board of Finance during budget deliberations.

They argued that the school board approved its budget in a bipartisan manner, and the money should have stayed.

Perry said he feels "they areplaying state andfederal politics instead of doing what is best for the community."

Republican Councilman Michael Del Santo, however, said he will not support any budget additions "because it gives him no pleasure to increase taxes."

• A $13.27 million debt service budget for bonded items, which is $201,937 larger, or 1.55 percent.

Also approved unanimously were budgets for animal control, sewers, and the town's capital improvement budget.

While the budgets didn't change much since a public hearing, the town was able to recalculate tax impacts that show a slight lessening of the tax increase.

Two days after the council finalized the budget, the finance board finalized the tax rate at its meeting on May 14.

To pay for the budget, Southington officials said the motor vehicle mill rate would be 32.46, which is the state-mandated cap regarding motor vehicle taxes this year.

The proposed automobile mill rate, despite the cap, is still 1.02 mills larger.

It means if you have a car assessed at $25,000, you would pay an extra $25.50 in taxes compared to a year ago.

As for real estate and personal property, the new tax rate is now 32.8, according to the latest figures, for a tax hike of 1.36 mills.

If your home is assessed at $300,000, the new tax rate this year would translate into an increase of $408.

For the full adopted budget approved by the Southington Town Council, click on this link.

For the minutes of the May 12 Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.