Tolland's 3rd Tolland Referendum set for June 4th.2024

Tolland Residents: The Town Council returned to work after the second failed referendum.

With all the various suggestions, we developed a bipartisan budget that lowered the percentage increase from 3.11% to 2.65%. We did this by reducing spending and using more projected investments to help lower the budget to a 2.65 % increase.

We did not use any additional fund balance this time. Vice Chair Marie and Counselor Yudichak are committed to finding a budget that will pass. With all the intensity of this budget season, this budget shows that we are doing our best to listen to as many constituents in our community at once as possible while maintaining critical services to our community.

We also recognize that many are concerned about the spending increase; this is different from the percentage your taxes will increase. The number encumbers every aspect of the budget.

Which includes Public Works, which takes care of the parks, cemeteries, plowed roads, street sweeping, and many projects; Tolland Board of Education; Public Safety, which includes the Tolland Fire Department, which provides services such as fire suppression, medical emergencies, animal control, law enforcement, and other departments such as the library, town hall, human services, senior center, and the recreation department this budget also includes capital, debt service, and revenue.

We hope this budget can pass this time since we have reduced close to $678,000 from the original Town Manager’s budget for both the school and town.

If the budget fails, more will be at stake, including school and town budget reductions in services and potential staff.

The Town Council did not use any additional fund balance in this new budget for the third referendum. The Town Council has already used a significant portion of the unassigned fund balance and municipal tax stabilization funds for next year’s budget (2024-2025).

It is not a good idea to continue using unsigned funds for budgeting. As our highly esteemed finance director has mentioned in multiple meetings, we risk losing our AAA rating if we go below a certain percentage of funds. If it gets too low, we would be reduced to an AA rating; the town will pay more in interest when needed to bond for money, which will cost the town more in the long run.

The ballot question for the June 4th, 2024, referendum shall be worded as follows:
"Shall the Town of Tolland proposed 2024-2025 budget of$64,310,940, reflecting a spending increase o f$2,759,583 or 4.48%, which requires an estimated tax rate of 38.32 mills for an increase of.99 mills or 2.65% be adopted? Yes/No."

The voting location is Tolland Public Library. In the program room, polls open at 6AM and close promptly at 8 PM.

Once again, we are encouraging a YES vote on June 4th, 2024.

Co-Authored by: Jacob Marie (R ) - Vice Chair Colleen Yudichak (U) - Town Counselor