Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include further explaination of the mill rate increase.
Board of Finance members unanimously approved an $80.5 million budget for fiscal year 2013-14 Thursday night, which carries a 2.42% increase in spending and a 3.44% tax hike. First Selectman Steve Vavrek says Monroe taxpayers will get good value for their money.
"People just want to see services for their tax dollar," he said. "This is a much smaller increase than has been passed in previous years, but it's giving you much more services, more security and a better overall town."
The first selectman touted funding for updated equipment for fire firefighters — replacing equipment that will soon expire, three new school resource officers, a new police dispatcher, improvements in school security, full-day kindergarten, two new plow trucks, funds for a counselling program run by Social Services and a continued dedication to improving town roads.
Vavrek praised the work of Town Council and Board of Finance members in revising the budget proposal throughout the process.
Voting members of the Board of Finance Thursday night were Chairman Mark Reed, Vice Chairman Michael Manjos, Chris Baudouin and John Ostaszewski.
"The school system has been a treasure to work with," Vavrek said. "Supt. James Agostine has pinched every penny. These are lean budgets. We're only increasing services for our citizens."
Calculating Individual Tax Bills
The budget proposal has $52,334,919 for education (a 1.72% increase) and $20,197,349 in municipal spending (a 5.22% increase). Municipal debt service is $5,751,542. The budget would be paid for with $68,994,686 in taxes assuming a 98% collection rate.
The mill rate would increase from 29.26 mills to 30.5 mills for a 4.24% increase. Board of Finance Chairman Mark Reed said the mill rate went up higher than the tax rate because of a drop in the Grand List.
On Friday morning, Reed said, "Due to the decrease in the grand list and decreased revenues, even if the expenses were absolutely flat (ie, 0% spend increase), the mill rate would still go up 1.4%."
A mill is equal to one dollar of tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value. Individual property taxes can be calculated by multiplying your property assessment by the mill rate and dividing it by $1,000.
Assessed value is 70% of fair market value. For example, a house with a fair market value of $300,000 has a property assessment of $210,000. The owner would pay $6,405 in taxes if the budget passes as is, for a $260 increase from the current bill.
These postings are my means of participating in the dialogue leading up to the vote on the budget referendum. It seems unlikely that my appearance at a town meeting will change the process of free spending. Perhaps it might but I don't assume such persuasive powers. Despite your assumptions, I value the education system in Monroe. I just believe the fiscal path that we are on is unsustainable and, as such, poses a long term threat to the school system, itself. I prefer to try to change the course of this relentless pace of spending and, therefore, preserve the integrity of Monroe education.
I consider myself an advocate of the school system but one who has come to the realization that the pace of spending is unsustainable in the long run. Am I unreasonable? Is any questioning of the BoE budget out of line?
These standards are arbitrary and are being implemented by those who have a vested interest in growing the education bureaucracy. How did students in years past excel while being "deprived" of all day kindergarten? Again. empirical studies show benefits to at risk student populations in poorer communities, unlike those in Monroe. You can pontificate any which way you like about these "CCSS standards" but the fact is that they are arbitrary and created by those whose vested interest is in sustaining the education bureaucracy. My children learned that education didn't begin or end at the schoolhouse door and they thrived. They attended prestigious colleges and are gainfully employed. Those who depend on the school system to be the sole source of their children's education will be sorely disappointed. Don't suggest to me that three additional hours of kindergarten will be determinative of a child's academic future. that is utter nonsense.
Is the scope of this audit committee's responsibilities posted anywhere? Have they ever issued a written report? I'd be interested in reviewing their scope and previous findings.
Where are such quotes to be found? If he's not an ardent BoE supporter than that illustrates how even more incompetent he is given his inability to implement broad structural change in the BoE bureaucracy.
Your probably a town employee shrill.
I'm not anti-education. I'm against fiscal recklessness. Why can't the education bureaucracy be subjected to critical analysis? Why is this conversation forbidden?Why does the mere suggestion of cost cutting create such an outrage amongst some who never object to any BoE expenditures? And I'm not kicking and screaming unless you suggest posting comments that you don't approve of as some sort of infantile outburst. I'm looking to create dialogue about this matter. However, some appear to feel that this is a subject that can never be discussed by those who cherish educational pursuits. Examine your own prejudices before accusing me of them.
In other words, sweetheart, lighten up and have a sense of humor.
Why do public unions and government always have the last say in budget matters? The citizens should have the final say, and the citizens of the town should be able to say enough, you've had enough raises the last decade.
The only item in your comment that applies to me was the reference to "sweetheart" and that was just a meager attempt to lighten the tone in light of continued invective regarding my choice of pseudonym. I believe the reference to "sex acts" was from a consistent BoE supporter and has been deleted by the moderator. I am only seeking civil discussion. I would also like an answer to my queries. Is it ever acceptable to discuss cost cutting in the BoE? Do those who consistently support BoE budget increases believe that the pace of spending on the BoE needs to reconsidered, if not for the current year, but at all? Do they think that there is any problem with the decades long pace of education spending.? Do they believe that tax dollars could be spent more wisely? Or do they believe that the only problem is that there are some residents who object to what they believe to be unrestrained spending?
If the town seriously claimed that, the citizens of that town are a bunch of suckers.
Having said that,I do agree with some of their issues / concerns, but they should not be thought of as some un-biased group.
Maybe we can get someone from that group to write something on the Patch so we can have a better idea of what they are about.