Vernon Annual Budget Meeting: What To Know

VERNON, CT — Tuesday is budget showdown time in Vernon.

The annual Vernon Town Meeting, during which town residents and taxpayers can comment and vote on the $107 million proposed 2025-26 town budget, is slated for 7 p.m., Tuesday in the Rockville High School auditorium.

The meeting will kick off with a public hearing that allows residents and taxpayers to comment on the proposed budget of $107,603,361. It will be followed by a formal vote Registered voters and people who own at least $1,000 worth of taxable property in Vernon can vote on the proposed budget.

If approved, the budget goes into effect when the new fiscal year begins on July 1 with a single mill increase to the tax rate.

The proposed tax rate to fund the budget is 36.09 mills, an increase of 1 mill, or 2.85 percent. The tax rate on motor vehicles is capped at 32.46 mills in accordance with state law.

"This budget proposal represents what is needed to properly fund our schools, public safety and community services, while also taking into account the economic uncertainty we all face," Mayor Dan Champagne said. "Inflation, increases in utility costs, higher health insurance costs and employee salaries are forcing us to ask taxpayers for this increase."

Details about the proposed budget, which was unanimously approved by the Town Council, can be found on the town website, www.vernon-ct.gov.

The town's Grand List of all taxable property showed a slight increase in real estate and personal property values, and a slight decrease in motor vehicle values due to a state law that changes how vehicles are valued.

The capital improvement budget prioritizes investments in infrastructure, road maintenance, building improvements, recreation and park upgrades, drainage projects and essential vehicle replacement. Capital expenditures will be funded from reserves and will not impact the tax rate, officials said.

The major drivers of the proposed budget are increases in the education and police budgets, health insurance costs, information technology and employee benefits, officials said.

Here is a summary:

• Education: The superintendent and board of education proposed an operating budget that increases spending primarily to cover rising health insurance costs. The education budget has a bottom line of $60,419,570, which represents an increase of 2.79 percent, or $1,640,506. See more here.
• Public safety: Investments are being made in police, fire and emergency medical services to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.
• Infrastructure: The proposed budget allows for investments in roads, public works, facility improvements and park improvements to enhance Vernon’s infrastructure.

"Mayor Champagne, the town council and town administration never waver from our commitment to carefully manage expenses and use of taxpayer dollars," Vernon Town Administrator John Kleinhans said. "We have taken a multi-year approach to handling significant expenses and were very deliberate in avoiding future shocks to our operating budgets by using federal pandemic relief dollars only for special, one-time projects and programs. That is why the increase we are asking for is significantly less than other communities."