Vernon's 2022-23 Budget Proposal — At A Glance

VERNON, CT — If Vernon officials can keep rolling 7s on the budgetary craps table, the 2022-23 fiscal year that starts in July could be a winning one for local taxpayers. But oh, are things complicated.

Here's a quick introduction:

• In terms of the day-to-day functions of the town, the mayor's operating budget request for the 2022-23 fiscal year is $95,647,105, an increase of $1,258,047 or 1.33 percent. The proposed amount of tax revenue to be raised (which, in turn, is used by town officials to calculate the tax rate rate) is determined by using that amount minus other revenue sources and may change as officials move through the budget hearings and ultimately the annual town meeting.
• Town officials have also proposed using $1,667,710 from the general fund balance and $2,500,000 from Vernon's allocation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (the coronavirus ARPA payments) for various projects, which brings the total budget proposal to $99,814,815, an increase of 4.09 percent. Residents need not panic, because the use of the additional funds does not have an impact on the tax rate but must be accounted for in the overall spending plan.
• The aforementioned funds are proposed for expenditures dedicated to road, sidewalk and parking lot improvements (a seven-year ongoing plan), improving outdoor spaces for recreation, economic development projects and building renovations.

It is also a property revaluation year in Vernon. As proposed, because of a jump in the grand list and other factors, the current tax rate of 39.63 mills is proposed to drop to 33.39 mills, a drop of 15.75 percent. A mill represents $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value.

If the taxable assessment of a property goes up less than 15.75 percent after revaluation, then taxes will likely go down. An increased value of better than 15.75 percent could have the opposite effect. And that's if the budget stays as-is.

Numbers for the town's three major budget segments are:

• Education expenditures are proposed at $55,775,479, an increase of $742,867. Of that $35,379,971 million goes to salaries, an increase of $609,143. Benefits total $8,464,987, a decrease of $125,9129.
• General government is proposed at $31,554,785, an increase of $415,899.
• Capital expenditures and debt service are proposed at $12,484,551, an increase, including the non-tax-impact portion, of $2,766,991.

The entire town budget can be accessed here.