Avon Budget Vote Wednesday Needs Large Turnout To Matter

AVON, CT — Avon voters on Wednesday, May 15, will flex their democratic muscles and determine how their tax dollars are spent to run the town government and schools.

But if voters want to reject the combined $116.1 million town/school spending plan, they will have to come out in full force.

That's because Avon's charter has a stipulation that says if turnout is low (less than 9 percent), then the budget automatically passes.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Avon Senior Center, 635 W. Avon Road, with absentee ballots available in the town clerk's office at Avon Town Hall.

The vote will center on a single budgetary question: "Shall the Annual Town Budget in the amount of $116,087,973 as recommended by the Board of Finance, for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, be approved?"

Voters approving the proposed question will vote "Yes" and those opposing the proposed question will vote "No."

How those budgets will impact individual taxpayers depends on the new, post-revaluation assessments.

If one's property values escalated, the taxes could still be much higher despite the mill rate decrease.

Currently, the 2024 tax rate is proposed to be 30.34, which is less than the current 35.39 mill rate.

But because of the recently completed revaluation, it doesn't mean taxes will decrease even though the proposed mill rate is much smaller than a year ago.

The Town of Avon has set up a web page that allows taxpayers to calculate their tax bill based on the proposed 2024-25 budget going to voters.

All people need to do is fill in a few blanks on the online calculator and they will know exactly how the proposed town/school budgets will impact them.

The Avon Board of Finance has estimated that taxes, on average, will go up by 3.3 percent for most.

According to the latest budget figures, the total combined town/school budget is $116.08 million, a 5.44 percent increase in spending or nearly $6 million larger.

That spending plan includes a $31.06 million town operating budget (4.25 percent larger) and a $72.28 million education budget (4.9 percent larger).

For more information on all of Avon's 2024-24 town/school budget proposals, click on this link.

To calculate how the 2024-25 budgets will impact your taxes in Avon, click on this link.