Politics & Government

Avon Voters Consider $78.72 Million Budget

Taxes will increase by 2.45 percent if proposed 2012-13 budget passes at the Wednesday referendum.

If voters give the proposed $78.72 million budget a nod at Wednesday's referendum, that will mean a 2.45 percent tax rate increase like last year.

Besides some of the usual talking points addressed during public comment sessions – concerns about taxes and support for Avon Public Schools – the buzz about the requested 2012-13 budget from the public has been quiet in comparison to past years, town officials have noted.

What this will mean for voter turnout remains to be seen. Last year, 15.6 percent of eligible voters, or 1,868, participated in the referendum, by 686 votes.

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The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the . The Board of Finance is scheduled to meet after to officially sign off on the budget.

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The finance board adjusted the requested $79.4 million budget to $78,729,793 at its workshop in April. That lowered the proposed tax rate increase from 3.55 to 2.45 percent.

This year's budget may look significantly larger at first glance, but that is because the Board of Education has shifted to gross accounting methods, like the town, to incorporate projected revenue in the budget. It won't be until 2013-2014 that voters will more accurately be able to compare this budget to the next one.

, the budget automatically passes.

If the referendum fails the first time around, there will be a . on June 6. This year marks a decade since the first time an Avon budget failed in the first referendum, Harrison said.

Should it fail a second time, there will be a third referendum on June 27. In the event of a third rejection, the Town Council would set the budget.

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