Berlin Spending/Taxes Go Before Voters Tuesday

BERLIN, CT — Voters will head to the polls next week to decide how their tax dollars will be spent next fiscal year and how much they will have to pay the town to spend those dollars.

A combined $102.82 million town/school budget will head to voters on Tuesday, April 30, with a 2.2 percent tax hike proposed to fund that spending plan.

According to the latest calculations, the proposed 2024-25 budget would increase the town's tax rate from 29.56 to 30.21 mills — a 0.65-mill hike.

That means a homeowner with a house assessed at $300,000 would pay $195 extra in taxes this year compared to a year ago.

The combined spending plan includes a $50.57 million general government budget and a $52.25 million education budget for Berlin schools.

Overall, the combined budget is 3.22 percent larger than current spending, with the general government budget 3.72 percent bigger and the education spending plan 2.75 percent larger.

Each budget is voted on separately and if one or both budgets are shot down, a second budget referendum will occur on May 28.

The town has budget information available online and a means to find your polling location.

Berlin voters have three separate locations to cast ballots: District 1 at Emma Hart Willard School, 1088 Norton Road, Kensington; District 2 at Mary E. Griswold School, 133 Heather Lane, Kensington; and District 3 at 139 Grove St., East Berlin.

For more information on Berlin's current and recent budget history, including more details on spending, click on this link.

To determine what voting district you are in, click on this link.