Budget Proposal Would Lower Taxes

The $79.3 million municipal budget for 2011-12 could be a pleasant surprise for taxpayers.
In his budget address to the Town Council Tuesday night, Mayor Jason McCoy said that the proposed budget is less than 1 percent more than the current year's budget. Despite the increase, the mayor said that the budget will actually decrease taxes while maintaining core services.
Debt service pushed the net result to an increase. 
McCoy unveiled the $79,352,355 bottom line, an increase of $630,896, or .8 percent during the Town Council meeting Tuesday night. If approved by the council without changes, the budget would drop the current tax rate of 30.02 mills to 29.96 mills. 

The annual budget meeting is scheduled for April 26 at 7 p.m. at Rockville High School.
"This budget balances what Vernon needs with what Vernon can afford,'' McCoy said. "And I want to assure you that Vernon will remain stable."

General government appropriations total $25,571,655 in the budget, $98,596 - or .38 percent - less than this year. McCoy's $7.7 million budgeted for public safety is $80,416 less than this year, but maintains the core of 49 officers and could add one more, McCoy said. Crime is down 16 percent in town this year, he said.

McCoy said trash and recycling collection will remain at the current levels.

The budget proposes $47,462,358 in education appropriations, $170,000 less than what Superintendent of Schools Mary Conway submitted and $96,601 less than this year. McCoy's bottom line represents a decrease of .2 percent from this year.

McCoy vowed to pursue economic development initiatives during the upcoming fiscal year and used an anecdote provided by his son, Patrick, to illustrate that.

McCoy said Patrick came home from school after just having taken the Connecticut Mastery Test. One of the essay questions asked him to write a letter to the mayor in support of developing one of three things - an amusement park, an athletic field or a teen center.

So after addressing the letter, "Dear Dad …"

Patrick went with the amusement park.

McCoy said his son's reasoning was that it would not only increase the volume of people who came to town, but build the tax base on real estate and personal property while also creating jobs.

And the extra revenue would pay for both a new field and a teen center.

"The point is we need to talk about economic development,'' McCoy said. ''We have come to a point where municipal services costs exceed that of the tax base.''

He said the Vernon is down 60 business on this year's Grand List.

''We have to have a good marketing plan and fill our vacancies,'' he said.

The budget includes an economic development director's position that is currently being advertised. It carries a salary of between $64,000 and $79,000 annually.

The budget includes two lines relating to debt service - $6,263,342 for straight debt payments, an increase of $771,093, or 14.04 percent; and $6,318,342 for capital improvement and debt service, an increase of $826,093 or 15.04 percent.