Triggered by a successful petition drive by the West Hartford
Taxpayers Association, property owners in West Hartford
will have a chance to cast a vote during the June 12 budget referendum on
whether or not they support the proposed 2007-2008 budget of $203.3 million.
If passed, property taxes in town will rise 6.6 percent.
This
year's proposed budget, a combination of the Board of Education budget and
the Town Council budget, is a 3.48 percent increase in spending from last
year. The property tax hike is compounded this year by the recent revaluation
where residents experienced significant rises in the value of their homes.
To minimize the effect of the revaluations, the new assessed values will be
phased in over a five- year period. Only 25 percent of the increased assessed
property value will be used next year.
The town council must move quickly to resolve this year's budget since the
new fiscal year begins July 1. Mayor Scott Slifka
said during this week's town council meeting that because June 19 is the date
for both the Hall and Conard graduations and that
some people begin summer vacations in late June, the
town council concluded that the best date would be June 12. According to town
charter, only two referendums can be forced upon the town.
Residents can vote in their regular polling locations during the referendum
anytime from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 12. A "yes" vote supports the
proposed budget and a "no" vote counts against the proposed budget.
If the proposed budget is voted down, the town council will decide how much
to reduce the existing budget, most likely trimming their own expenditures
and asking the Board of Education to do the same.
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