Stonington Budget Referendum Vote Today

Eligible Stonington residents interested in having a say on the $57 million 2012-2013 proposed town budget get to vote today. Here is a guide to the budget referendum:

Time And Locations: Polls are open in three voting districts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Districts One and Three vote at the at 100 Main St., in Stonington Borough.

District Two votes at the at 33 Liberty St. in Pawcatuck

Districts Four and Five vote at the B.F. Hoxie Engine Company at the at 34 Broadway Avenue in Mystic.

At Stake:

The town proposed $57,133,696 budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The recommended budget beginning on July 1, 2012 would set the mill rate at 16.05 a .042 mills increase from the 2011-2012 fiscal year. A property owner with a home assessed at $200,000 would see an increase in their annual tax bill of $84.

Here is the budget breakdown by department for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. A complete copy of the recommended budget is available on the Town of Stonington website.

• Office of the Selectman: $ 895,734
• Department of Administrative Services: $ 3,612,630
• Department of Finance $ 1,530,370
• Debt Service: $ 4,694,175
• Department of Planning & Land Use: $ 387,797
• Department of Public Works: $ 6,047,614
• Department of Police Services $ 4,682,170
• Department of Human Services $ 1,059,476
• Board of Education: $33,206,600
• Schedule C Capital Improvements $ 2,216,600

Points Of Controversy:

School Budget: Stonington Superintendent Leanne Masterjoseph and the Board of Education proposed a $33.2 million budget or a 4.1 percent increase for the schools’ 2012-2013 budget.  The Stonington Board of Finance sent the proposed budget to public hearing with a $156,000 cut. At the urging of the school system a number of residents asked for the board to , which they did by adding backing $150,000.

Ambulance Services Funding: First Selectman Edward Haberek’s proposed budget called for funding the three ambulance services, , Westerly Ambulance and , that serve the town at an additional $20,000 each from the 2011-2012 year. The board decided to give them each an additional $10,000 bringing them each to $25,000. That means the ambulance services will be back at the level of funding they received in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

Mystic & Noank Library Funding: Funding to the Mystic & Noank Library, which serves both Stonington and . Groton residents feel Stonington doesn’t do it’s fair share to fund the library, and some Stonington residents feel the town should not give as much money as it does to a library that is outside the town’s boarders.

Haberek’s proposed $85,000 in funding to the Mystic & Noank, a $20,000 increase from the 2011-2012 fiscal year. The board decided to reduce that by $15,000 funding the library at $70,000.

Previous Voter Turnout: In 2011 just 12 percent of the eligible voters cast ballots.

Results:

Polls close at 8 p.m. and results, once announced at Town Hall, will be posted on Stonington-Mystic Patch, on our Facebook page, and tweeted.