Southington Council Budget Vote Is Tonight, What You Need To Know

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Southington's top elected board has a major decision tonight when members will decide a town/school spending plan that could up taxes by more than a mill.

The Southington Town Council meets tonight, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the John Weichsel Municipal Center Assembly Room, 196 N. Main St., Southington.

The meeting is open to the public and it can be watched LIVE on the Town of Southington's Youtube channel.

At the meeting, local leaders will vote to finalize spending plans for town and school operations and how much that will cost individual taxpayers as well.

If the council approves the spending package, it will be the largest tax hike since a 0.9-mill hike in 2014-15, according to town budget documents.

As part of this spending package, the mill rate would go up by 1.23 mills this year to 30.36, a 4.22 percent tax increase, according to the town.

If your home is assessed at $200,000 — for example — the proposed budget would increase your tax bill this year by $246.

The Town of Southington's 2023-24 budget plan is comprised of the following:

• A $173.49 million combined town/education/debt service budget, which is 6.62 percent larger than current spending or $10.77 million larger than this year's budget.

• Of the budget plan, $13.1 million is for debt service, a $2.1 million or 19 percent increase.

• Of the budget, $110.46 is for the Southington Board of Education, a $6.04 million or 5.79 percent increase.

•Of the budget, $49.93 million is for general government, a $2.63 million or 5.55 percent hike.

A public hearing late last month revealed very mixed opinions on spending from a litany of speakers at the April 24 Southington Town Council public hearing.

Some urged budget support, especially for education, while others expressed concern about the spending increases and the accompanying tax hikes.

Lyndsay Veroneau, of Alice Lane. is a mother of two elementary school-age children and a veteran teacher in Southington.

She told the council "to make sure that they keep the teachers they have and support the superintendent's proposed budget."

"Cutting classroom teachers will directly impact classroom sizes and the level of support children receive on a daily basis," Veroneau said. "The need for support staff is greater than ever. As a town, we need to make sure we hold onto these valuable employees."

Others, though, said many live on fixed incomes, especially seniors, prompting worries of affordability for a 1.23-mill tax hike.

Batiste Zgombick, of Richmond Court, said "throwing money ateducation does not always mean that you have the best students."

Other speakers criticized pay increases for town/school staff and general spending increases across the board.

For the May 8 Southington Town Council agenda, click on this link.

To watch tonight's Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.

For the minutes of the April 24 Southington Town Council meeting/budget hearing, click on this link.

From April 24: 'Southington Budget Could Create Largest Tax Hike In Years'