Avon's Budget Referendum A Casualty Of Low Voter Turnout

AVON, CT — In some towns, low turnout is not only disappointing at budget time, it also means, despite the will of those who do vote, budget passage is automatic and the results are moot.

Avon is one such town.

While those who did show up at the town's budget referendum Wednesday said "no" to town and school spending — the town's charter says "yes" because an insufficient amount of voters showed up.

At the end of the day, 264 voters said "yes" to a budget that would raise taxes by 0.78 mills, with 369 voters saying "no."

But voter turnout was an anemic 4.6 percent, far short of the town charter-mandated turnout required for a budget vote's outcome to be recognized.

The Avon Town Charter requires a 9 percent voter turnout, so as a result of that stipulation, Avon's spending plan is automatically approved because too few people showed up at the Avon Senior Center.

The combined town/school budget "approved" for 2023-24 is $110.1 million, a budget 3.62 percent larger than current spending, one that also increase taxes.

As a result, the mill rate will grow from 34.61 to 35.39 mills, for a 0.78-mill tax increase.

It means if your home is assessed at $250,000, your taxes this year will increase by $195.

Early versions of the budget, actually, called for a 1.1-mill tax hike, but local leaders were able to adjust the budget to a mill rate increase of just 0.78.

Avon isn't the only area town to see its voters shoot down a budget, only to see it automatically approved because voter turnout was so low.

Such charter stipulations are aimed at ensuring a small amount of voters cannot hold a budget hostage by taking advantage of voter apathy.

Canton this week also saw its budget approved Tuesday, despite that fact referendum voters clearly shot those spending plans down.

Like Avon, Canton has a minimum voter turnout requirement attached to a budget vote. If that isn't met, then the budget passes regardless.

Canton's threshold is actually higher than Avon's at 10 percent.

From May 8: 'Avon Voters To Decide Spending Plan/Tax Impact Wednesday'

From May 10: 'Canton Taxes Will Rise Despite Budget 'Rejection'