By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Milford will see an unprecedented seventh consecutive reduction in its mill rate if the budget approved by the Board of Finance on March 16 is eventually adopted by the Board of Aldermen.
The total budget of $242,146,666 will reduce the mill rate by 0.47, taking it from 27.65 to 27.18.
However, because of a city-wide revaluation last year, the impact that mill rate change will have on any individual’s tax bill could be different; some residents may actually end up paying more.
That revaluation cuts both ways, though: it was in part responsible for a 16.93 percent jump in the Grand List total, by $1.14 billion, that allowed for a rate reduction even while the city spends more overall.
“For the last at least six years, we have had a flat budget,” Mayor Ben Blake told the board. “We have enjoyed a consistent Grand List that increased a little bit every year, but taxes pretty much stayed flat. They actually went down each of those last six years for everyone. This year there’s going to be, depending on what your reval was, either an increase, a decrease or potentially a flat line for your taxes next year.”
Blake noted that taxes should continue to decrease, as the city continues to see sustained growth, with about $100,000 in new construction this year.
A significant portion of the Milford budget – $102,008,319 – was approved for the Board of Education, representing a 2.28 percent increase. This was exactly in line with what the Board of Education had requested.
BOF member Ray Arnold attempted to reduce the outlay by $254,000 to take out a line item for school counselors, but the motion failed. The BOF only approves a lump sum, which the BOE can spend as it sees fit. The counselors had been paid for through a federal grant.
“Adding personnel should be somewhat arduous,” Arnold said. “Just because they existed – and they were paid for – but whether it hits this budget or next budget, it would be nice to see why are they there and what are they doing. And just saying, ‘Oh, they’re taking care of things,’ isn’t really enough for me to feel comfortable.”
There was also discussion by the board, as there has been in previous years, of the continued slow decline in overall school enrollment in the city.
Nevertheless, in supporting the full request for the BOE’s budget, BOF chair Brian Lema noted in his budget message that his board was recognizing the ongoing challenges presented to the schools by the COVID-19 pandemic and that they thought it would be prudent to give the BOE “the necessary flexibility” to address those impacts.
The Board of Aldermen now picks up the task of finalizing the city budget. It has already begun meeting with various departments and will come to a final decision sometime in May.