Southington Council To Decide Town/School Budgets, Taxes

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The testimony has been taken, the budget workshops complete, and the proposals hashed out.

It's time to decide a town/school budget for 2025-26 in Southington, with the Southington Town Council Monday slated to decide how the town's tax dollars will be spent and how much taxpayers will pay.

Southington's charter puts the final budgetary decision in the hands of the council, unlike other towns that do it via a town meeting or referendum.

Southington's budget decision will be Monday, May 12, at 7 p.m. inside the John Weichsel Municipal Center Assembly Room.

There, the town's top elected board will decide a $188 million-plus budget that will likely have taxpayers paying hundreds of dollars more in taxes this year.

According to the latest budget figures in Southington, the 2026-26 plan is comprised of:

• A combined town/school budget of $188.35 million, a $7.5 million increase or 4.16 percent.

• A $53.19 million general government budget, which is $1.38 million larger, or 2.66 percent.

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

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

To pay for that 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 would be 33.18, according to the latest figures, for a tax hike of 1.74 mills.

If your home is assessed at $300,000, the new tax rate this year would translate into an increase of $522.

To see a copy of the town/school budget Southington council members will vote on, click on this link.