Mill Rate 2016-2017

Government & Politics

Jack Davis’ Budget Committee Report to the RTM on the 2016-2017 Town Budget

By David Gurliacci | May 10, 2016

The Representative Town Meeting’s Finance & Budget Committee report to the full RTM, delivered by F&B Committee Chairman Jack Davis, explained why the committee recommended a 2016-2017 town budget that increases taxes by 2.74 percent. 

The report was delivered in pieces, before each of several votes by the RTM that overwhelmingly approved the committee’s recommendations. Some parts of Davis’ report (dealing specifically with the Board of Selectmen’s town operating budget and the education budget) are published in separate articles on Darienite.com. Overall Budget Remarks
(16-12) RTM RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING THE

JULY, 1 2015 TO JUNE 30, 2016 BUDGET

I am Jack Davis, District 3 and Chair of the Finance and Budget Committee. I move “Section A” of RTM Resolution (16-12) Authorizing and Approving the July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017 Budget. Is there a second?

Government & Politics

Board of Finance Recommends Town Budget Changes to Deal With State Grant Cuts

By David Gurliacci | May 10, 2016

Board of Finance Chairman Jon Zagrodzky wrote this explanation for his board’s proposed budget and a recommendation for the Representative Town Meeting, and sent it to RTM members, who also heard it read before the RTM vote. The RTM’s vote followed the recommendations of the Board of Finance and the RTM’s own Finance & Budget (F&B) Committee. Zagrodzky himself was unable to be at the RTM meeting, so board Vice Chairman Frank Huck read it to the RTM on Monday night. Here’s the full text:

On April 7, the Board of Finance (BOF) voted to submit a 2016-2017 budget to the RTM with a 15.73 mill rate or a 2.48 percent increase. Subsequent to this vote, the governor proposed eliminating Education Cost Reimbursement and MRSA [Municipal Revenue Sharing Act] grants for Darien, with a negative impact on the submitted budget of $1,317,925.

Government & Politics

Remarks on the Education Budget from Town Officials

By David Gurliacci | May 10, 2016

Before the The Darien Public Schools budget was approved by the Representative Town Meeting, three speakers gave their remarks on it. Here are their speeches (as prepared):
Dennis Maroney’s Education Committee Report
Good evening, I am Dennis Maroney of district 3 and I am chairman of the Education committee.  I would like to move 16-12 B, an appropriation in the General Fund to the Education operating Budget of $93,847,816, may I have a second? The Board of Education budget increases over the past four years have ranged between 2.93% and 5.90% with an average budget increase of 4.42%.  The proposed budget for 2016-2017 requested increase is for 3.44%. The main driver of the recommended increase, is as usual Health/Insurance and Personal RC, (Responsibility center.)  This accounts for 77% of the entire budget. There is a projected increase of 10 students this year in the district.  As an aside, I have a graduating senior and when she entered the school district in 2003 there were 4,116 students enrolled in Darien public schools, the projected number for 2016-2017 is 4,857.  That is a net increase of 741 students.  From the turn of the century that number is 1,058.  Yes over 1,000 more students in 16 years.  A 27.8% increase over the past 16 years.

Government & Politics

RTM Passes $140.6 Million Budget, 2.74% Tax Increase to 15.77 Mills

By David Gurliacci | May 10, 2016

With a series of overwhelming votes and no dissenting voices, the Representative Town Meeting passed a budget that raised taxes by 2.74 percent, to 15.77 mills ($15.77 per $1,000 of assessed value). The new 2016-2017 Fiscal Year budget of $140,596,508 starts on July 1 and runs for 12 months. The approved budget includes:

The Board of Education budget of $93,847,816
The Board of Selectmen budget of $$46,748,692

The RTM made one adjustment from the budget passed by the Board of Finance on April 18 — it includes $171,485 in revenue expected from the Municipal Revenue Sharing Act program (MRSA) which reimburses the town for sales taxes collected within Darien and some other revenues collected here. Town Budget Changes in Reaction to State Aid Cuts

The Board of Finance had passed its April 18 budget assuming Darien would get no funding from the state for the upcoming fiscal year, since all funding had seemed tentative without an approved plan between the governor and the state Legislature. (The board had initially passed a budget on April 7 that contained the assumption the town would get about $1.1 million in state funding and a mill rate of 15.73.)

Although an announced state budget agreement between Gov. Dannel Malloy and Democrats in the Legislature hasn’t been voted on, the state has a legal obligation to give municipalities money from that particular fund, said Jack Davis, chairman of the Finance & Budget Committee of the RTM.