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Danbury City Council approves budget, with tax increase

After about an hour discussion, mostly focused on education spending, the Danubry City Council has approved a more than $277 million budget for the coming year.  City residents will see a tax increase for the first time in years, with the mill rate increasing 2.25 percent. 

Nearly a dozen residents stood up during the public speaking portion of the meeting and urged the City Council to support the Board of Education request. 

Councilman Irving Fox, a parent and former Board of Ed member, called for a standing committee on education spending to discuss the matter year round.  He says many questions were asked, and weren't answered--including the local percentage of education funding. The Board of Ed presentation was significantly different than what the City had.  Under the plan , the city will provide another $10.4 million in “indirect funding” to the schools.  This includes debt service, building maintenance, some pension costs, and field maintenance and snow removal. 

Councilman Ben Chianese made a motion to put $4 million from the city’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the education budget, but that vote failed 15-6.  The education portion of the budget was approved 14-6, with all but one Democrat voting against the budget. All Republicans, except for one who abstained, voted for it. 

With a mill rate of 28.22, the typical homeowner will see a quarterly real estate tax bill that is about $40 higher.  Sewer and water rate increases of 2.75 percent were also approved. The typical residential homeowner who uses 15,000 gallons per quarter, for both water and sewer will see an increase of little less than $3 a quarter.

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Brian Kilmeade

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