Milford Looking At No Tax Hike For Third Straight Year

MILFORD, CT — For the third straight year it appears Milford residents won't be paying more in taxes. Mayor Benjamin G. Blake unveiled a $210.9 million combined city and school budget for fiscal 2018-19 this week.

The proposal includes an additional $5.1 million in spending, the Connecticut Post reports. If Blake's budget proposal is approved, the tax rate would remain unchanged at 27.79 mills. The city budget proposal is for $117.3 million and the Board of Education is seeking $93.59 million or a 1.8 percent hike, the Post reports.

While the city is projected to spend more money next year, it would be offset by continuing growth in the city's grand list do to a prospering economic development.

“We have the lowest tax rate in the region,” Blake said, via the Connecticut Post. “When I took office seven years ago, the mill rate was 28.89 — now it’s 27.79.”

In an email to Milford Patch, Blake added, "The total proposal presented comes in flat - meaning the mill rate would remain the same. That said, the (Board of Finance) and (Board of Aldermen) will fine tune and ultimately adopt the final package over the next few months. "

The big unknown with local budget projections is what the state may do when it comes to local aid. The Board of Finance will vote on the budget in March and the Board of Aldermen will finalize it in May.

A public hearing will be held 7 p.m. tonight (Feb. 1) at City Hall where residents can weigh in on both the school board and municipal budgets, the Milford Mirror reports. There is not much new with the budgets, but the Board of Education did add some funds to help the girls ice hockey program and to pay for building upgrades, the Milford Mirror reports.

Read the full Connecticut Post story here.

Read the full Milford Mirror story here.