Before Setting 2013-14 Tax Rate, Farmington Council Awaits State Aid Confirmation

The Farmington budget may have passed by default at the recent referendum for the next fiscal year, but the Town Council is waiting to hear about how much state aid the town will be receiving before setting the tax rate.

“The Town Council serves as the chief fiscal authority for the town of Farmington,” Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Hogan wrote in an email to Patch.
While the council “can’t change the budget that passed at referendum,” Hogan said that the council “can do a number of things to react to a reduction in state aid.”

“The Council doesn’t want to set the tax rate until we have better information about how much will be lost from the state,” Hogan said. “We can then decide how to make up for the difference.”

The council will set and vote on the tax rate “once the total appropriation and all non-tax revenues” for fiscal year 2013-14 are spelled out, according to Farmington Town Manager Kathleen Eagen.
 
“The tax rate is derived by subtracting from the total appropriation the amount of estimated non-tax revenues,” Eagen wrote in a statement to Patch. “The difference is the amount to be raised from taxes. This amount is adjusted for an estimated amount of uncollected taxes and then divided by the Grand List of all taxable property, which is prepared by the Assessor.”