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Referendum Set Today On Budget
By EZRA R. SILK and DANIEL P. JONES
Courant Staff Writers
June 12 2007
WEST HARTFORD --
Voters will go to the polls today to decide on a $203.3 million budget for
2007-08.
Voting will take place at regular polling places from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Last month, the West Hartford Taxpayers Association
gathered enough signatures to force a referendum.
In April, the town council voted 8-0 to adopt a budget that calls for a 3.48
percent spending increase. It also includes a nearly 2 percent property tax
increase, but with the recent revaluation factored in, homeowners' property
taxes will rise 6.6 percent.
Under the spending plan adopted by the council, the effect of the
revaluation, which shifted some of the tax burden from commercial properties
to homes, will be phased in over five years, with 25 percent of the effect
phased in the first year.
The council set the tax rate at $39.39 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
But that rate does not apply to the full assessed values set in last
October's revaluation. The first-year phase in means that virtually all
homeowners will pay about 6.6 percent more in property taxes in the fiscal
year that begins July 1.
After the first year of the phase in, the effect will be different for each
home, according to town officials, with some owners seeing significant
increases and some seeing decreases. Property taxes also will depend on each
year's spending plan, revenue projections and changes in the amount of
taxable property in town.
Mayor Scott Slifka has said that, under the
council's adopted budget, the tax rate would be $29.17 in the fifth year of
the phase-in - or it would be $29.17 in the adopted budget if the entire
effect of the revaluation was implemented now. But that projection does not
factor in the municipal budgets in years two through five of the phase-in,
and the possible spending increases, revenues and grand list changes that
would come with them.
For the referendum today, at least 15 percent of town voters must participate
or the budget will be automatically approved.
If the budget is defeated, a second referendum is possible.
According to Town Clerk Norma Cronin, the key dates and the process would be
as follows:
The town council would have until June 30 to adopt a new budget.
Those interested in forcing a second referendum would have until July 31 to
gather signatures and submit a petition to the town clerk, who would certify
the petition by Aug. 10.
A second referendum would be held Sept. 25. The council would then have until
Oct. 15 to adopt a new budget.
The town charter limits the number of budget referendums to two per annual
budget.
Contact Ezra R. Silk at esilk@courant.com.
Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant
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