2022-23 Newtown Budget Approved In Referendum

NEWTOWN, CT — A scant number of registered Newtown voters passed the town's 2022-23 budget of $129 million in Tuesday's referendum, which also saw two other fiscal requests approved as well.

Only 1,473 voters cast ballots in the referendum, either in-person or as an absentee voter, which only represented about 7.7 percent of the town's registered voters, according to unofficial figures from the Registrar of Voters office.

One absentee ballot was rejected, officials said, due to the voter not signing the ballot's inner envelope.

The vote totals by question are below. The new budget kicks in on July 1, and it will carry a tax increase of less than 1 percent, according to officials.

Question #1: "Shall the sum of $46,891,399 be appropriated for the Board of Selectmen for the fiscal year?" Tally: 1,012 voted yes; 460 voted no. The corresponding question was essentially moot, because the motion was approved.

Question #3: "Shall the sum of $82,134,639 be appropriated for the Board of Education for the fiscal year?" Tally: 924 voted yes; 546 voted no. The corresponding question was essentially moot, because the motion was approved.

Question #5: "Shall the $850,000 special appropriation and $850,000 bond authorization for the Newtown High School – Ventilation Systems and HVAC Renovations be approved?" Tally: 1,091 voted yes; 377 voted no.

Question #6: "Shall the $600,000 appropriation and $600,000 bond authorization for the Edmond Town Hall parking lot improvements be approved?" Tally: 1,045 voted yes; 423 voted no.