Berlin's Second Budget Vote Is Tuesday, What You Need To Know

BERLIN, CT — Voters last month shot town town and school spending plans for 2023-24, with Berlin officials hoping a second vote will lead to budgetary success on Tuesday, May 23.

On Tuesday, May 23, polls will be open for another budget referendum, with separate questions on the general government budget and the board of education budget on the ballot.

Because of the recently completed revaluation, taxes for most will go up, though local leaders hope the latest spending plan's tax impact has been minimized sufficiently for passage.

The referendum will be from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at all Berlin polling sites, which include:

• District 1 Emma Hart Willard School, 1088 Norton Road, Kensington.

• District 2 Mary E. Griswold School, 133 Heather Lane, Kensington.

• District 3 Richard D. Hubbard School, 139 Grove St., East Berlin, CT

• Citizens qualified to vote who are not electors shall vote at Berlin Town Hall, Room 104, 240 Kensington Road.

The first referendum April 25 saw both budgets go down resoundingly, with the general government budget being rejected with 361 "yes" votes and 1,158 "no" votes.

Meanwhile, the board of education spending plan for schools was shot down with only 236 "yes" votes and 1,287 "no" votes.

In preparation for the second referendum, the Berlin Town Council at a special meeting earlier this month tweaked the spending plans in an attempt to make them more voter-friendly, with lessening the tax impact the goal.

In two separate votes, the council approved a town general government budget of $48.76 million and a school board budget to operate Berlin schools at $50.86 million.

The school budget is 3.6 percent larger than current spending, while the town budget is unchanged.

On May 2, the Berlin council — upon advice from the town's finance board — cut about $1.3 million out of the general government budget for capital improvement projects, opting to utilize town surplus funds to get those projects done.

Meanwhile, it added about $300,000 in school spending, utilizing the town's surplus fund balance as well.

All of the budget tweaking still results in a reduced mill rate from the current tax rate, to 29.56, but it doesn't mean taxes will decrease.

That's because the recently completed revaluation for this year has many looking at increased property values, which often means large tax hikes, depending on new assessments, even if the mill rate is smaller.

According to Berlin Mayor Mark Kaczynski, the hope is the second budget's tax impact is lessened enough for voters to say "yes."

"Even though taxes will increase due to the revaluation, this will, at least, reduce that tax increase some," he said.

For the minutes of the May 2 Berlin Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For more information on the Berlin budget, click on this link.