Farmington Voters To Decide Budget, Huge Tax Increase

FARMINGTON, CT — Local voters have a massive job Thursday at a referendum to decide a spending plan for Farmington government/school operations that could hike taxes significantly.

Polls will be open Thursday, April 27, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Farmington for voters to decide the town's fiscal future in 2023-24.

The recently completed property revaluation has resulted in a proposed mill rate that will be significantly smaller than the current one, 5.11 mills smaller to a proposed rate of 24.21.

But that doesn't mean taxes will get smaller.

That's because, while the rate of taxes is shrinking by 17.43 percent, the average residential assessments have increased by about 33 percent and prompted a general shift in the tax burden from commercial to residential property owners, according to local officials.

What does that mean?

It means taxes, on average, will go up by $648.09 for the average homeowner, according to the town.

For this individual homeowner, 2023 taxes would be $7,298.13. A year ago, they were $6,650.04, according to the Town of Farmington.

All of these increases are for a combined town/school spending package that is exactly the same as current spending.

As it stands now, the budget proposal for 2023-24 is the same combined town/school spending plan as 2022-23: $121.266 million.

The school budget stands at $75.94 million (2 percent larger) and the municipal budget is $34.04 million (1.97 percent larger).

In addition, debt service — or payments the town makes annually for bonded projects — is projected to be nearly $10 million, 7.07 percent larger.

A 74 percent reduction in capital improvement spending — one-time expenditures like maintenance projects and new equipment purchases — has contributed toward even spending overall.

Because of the revaluation, the impact of the new budgets and mill rate for each taxpayer depends on their new assessments.

To help voters determine their new taxes, the town has posted an online calculator to help people figure out what their new tax bill would be under this budget.

That information can be used when they go to the polls Thursday.

As to where voting will take place, it will be at the town's regular poll sites.

Those are:

• District 1, Precinct 1 & 2 - Irving Robbins Middle School, 20 Wolf Pit Rd., Farmington

• District 1, Precinct 3 &4 - West Woods Upper Elementary School, 50 Judson Lane, Farmington

• District 2, Precinct 5 - Farmington Police Department, 319 New Britain Ave., Unionville

• District 2, Precinct 6 - Community/Senior Center, 321 New Britain Ave., Unionville

• District 2, Precinct 7 - Farmington Main Library, 6 Monteith Drive, Farmington

For a map of Farmington's voting districts, click on this link.

For more information on Farmington's voting procedures and the registrars office, click on this link.

For more information on Farmington's education and municipal budget, click on this link.

To figure out what your tax bill will be if the budgets are approved Thursday, click on this link.

From March 27: 'Farmington Warns Taxpayers Of Steep Increases This Year'