Vernon Annual Budget Meeting Slated For Early Next Week

VERNON, CT — Residents will get a crack at the $109.1 million Vernon budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year early next week.

The annual Vernon Town Meeting, during which residents can comment and vote on the proposed town budget, is slated for 7 p.m. on April 23, at the Rockville High School auditorium.

The annual Town Meeting will begin with a public hearing designed to take comment on the proposed bottom line of $109,176,779.

The budget will then go to a vote.

Registered voters and people who own at least $1,000 worth of taxable property in Vernon can vote on the proposed budget.

If approved, the budget goes into effect when the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

Details about the proposed budget can be found on the town website, www.vernon-ct.gov.

The Town Council's proposed budget totals $7,198,690 more than the current fiscal year's
budget. More than half of the budget increase — $4,616,354 — will be covered by the use of reserves and other revenues.

The remainder will require a $3,915,247 tax increase. The tax rate to fund the budget would be 35.09 mills for real estate and personal property, which is 1.7 mills more than the current rate.

In accordance with state law, the tax rate for vehicles will remain at 32.46 mills.

One mill is equal to $1 for each $1,000 in assessed property value.

"Our practice in Vernon is to start the budget process at square one every year," Mayor Dan Champagne said. "We
do not submit budgets built on incremental increases. We start at zero and budget for actual expenses. And we very carefully evaluate every one of those expenses. This budget includes our first proposed increase in the mill rate in six years. We don’t make this request of taxpayers lightly. We do believe this is the amount needed to provide the services that Vernon residents have come to expect. As we all know, costs have gone up across the board. Medical insurance is the No. 1 driver of this tax increase."

Town officials said the factors driving the increase are:

• $1,898,676 in health insurance costs, including $1.7 million for Board of Education health insurance
• $911,188 in the education budget
• $499,684 in the police budget
• $242,616 in pension expenditures
• $197,758 in municipal insurance premiums
• $165,325 in assorted costs, including utilities.

"Mayor Champagne, the Town Council and town administration are extremely careful stewards of taxpayer dollars," Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "This is evidenced by our strong reserves and liquidity, manageable fixed costs such as pensions, benefits and debt service, and proactive management of spending controls to address any potential shortfalls. We also maintain
a comprehensive risk management program, and shared service program that ensures coordination and efficiency, and reduces overhead costs."

Finance Director John Kleinhans said Vernon continues to enjoy an excellent credit rating, which helps control capital costs, and continues to employ innovative administrative and financial policies and procedures that control costs and save tax dollars.

"Careful analysis of revenues and expenditures and fiscal restraint are part of the DNA in Vernon," Kleinhans said. "When we ask the taxpayers for an increase, it is because we have exhausted all other opportunities to hold the line."