No Reduction in Spending?
On Tuesday, the 14th of May, the voters went to the polls and voted on the Town of Windsor budget. The vote was 1,023 Yes vs. 1,027 No. Over the past five referenda the results were typically lopsided meaning 2/3rds or more of the voters said Yes. This year’s results were a message in itself.
What is the issue? It is the same issue in almost every community in Connecticut. The TEMPORARY CoVid — Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds or “ESSER”, as it is called — gravy train has ended! Boards of Education (BoE) are demanding increases to cover the temporary ESSER money. These demands are being reduced or rejected. Hartford and New Haven are well publicized examples. The ESSER funds, like all Federal grants, went to the BoE directly, and are not part of the BoE or Town budgets. See the Grants page in the BoE budget book.
Most state grants are paid to the Town, if the State reduces them, as they have done, the Town is prohibited from budgeting less for education than it did the previous year. Understand we can’t cut the BoE budget. It’s called the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR). For Windsor there can NEVER be a BoE budget CUT. We can only reduce the INCREASES in the amounts asked for. A very important difference.
For FY2025 the Board wants us to replace the temporary ESSER money in the same year we have real estate revaluation that is causing tax bills, even after phase-in, to rise 10%, 20%, and more. Next year you will see the full reval increase which is almost double this year’s increase.
These increases are hitting all residents, from seniors on a fixed income, to working moms and dads that have to worry about groceries, gas, and utilities with the pending 20% increase in electric rates and other increases. A house on Park Avenue is looking at 34% tax increase with phase-in or over $1,200 the first year! That might mean an approximate $225 per month (my estimate) if that person has a mortgage, however next year there will be another increase and every year thereafter.
Since the May 14th referendum, an accounting error was found related to the phase-in calculation of the Great Pond Improvement District (TIF). The error was $355,900.
Monday, at a special meeting with no public comment, the Democrats will put forth a $355,000 reduction. This reduction is not a reduction in spending but the acknowledgment of the accounting error. There are also increases to the Senior Tax Relief and Veteran’s Tax Relief, that will total about $145,000. The net reduction will be $210,000 or a little more than 1/10ths of 1%! If you believe the budget needs to be reduced by more than $210,000 send an email to the Town Council before Monday.
This inconsequential reduction means the Park Avenue property still has to pay 68% more in taxes! The Democratic Councilors clearly believe the voters are ignorant and made a mistake, and are giving them a second chance to approve almost the same budget as previously presented. I will be voting NO and I am asking you to Vote no as well June 18th.
