Branford's Board of Finance has whittled down a recommended $107.2 million town budget to $106,183,253.

The BOF voted unanimously on March 21 to recommend the $106.1 million 2016-17 budget to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) which will further vet the proposed spending on the way to adopting a final budget in May. Branford's new fiscal year begins July 1, 2016.

The budget delivers a two and half percent increase in year-to-year expenditures. The town's Grand List growth of two-tenths of one percent will assist in generating revenue through taxation to foot the extra costs.   As the BOF-recommended budget stands, tax payers would see a little less than a half a mill increase to the current mill rate of 26.93 to 27.42 mills. That equals a 1.8 percent increase in taxes next year.

First Selectman James B. Cosgrove thanked the town's Finance Director, Jim Finch, and his department as well as the Board of Finance for its "appropriate" and "prudent" work in reviewing and revising the proposed town budget.

"We may often believe that we are insulated from the state budget crisis and the lagging economy but we must be cognizant that the tax payers who are residents of Branford and the business of Branford are not," said Cosgrove. "And therefore we must do our part to limit the growing tax burden. We accomplished this by following a philosophy of preserving value in our Grand List and promoting an environment that encourages responsible growth in the Grand List and restraining budget growth."