On Tuesday, May 9, voters can register their response to the Town Council's recommended $50,558,303 budget, representing a 4.7 percent tax hike for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The budget's 1.5 mill increase bumps North Branford's the mill rate up to 33.51 mills.

The council, which is also North Branford's Finance Board, approved the $50.55 million budget recommendation by a 5-4 party line vote on April 18. However, the budget won't be adopted until after budget referendum question voting is completed.

The vote will ask if electors feel the $50,558,303 town budget should be accepted, rejected as too high, or rejected as too low. By Town Charter, the vote on the question requires a minimum 15 percent voter turnout at the polls for results to be "actionable" by Town Council. Response is historically well below the 15 percent voter threshold.

This year's budget was a difficult process in which the council faced down daunting state revenue shortfalls, eventually deciding to pin the town's anticipated state losses at $2.2 million. The council decided not to make provisions for an additional $1.4 million North Branford might have to pay the state, should Governor Dannel P. Malloy's proposed municipal funding of the state Teachers' Retirement Fund be enacted. While the Town of North Branford, like many municipalities, considers that enactment to be a long shot, should Gov. Malloy's proposal be enacted, amended tax bills would be issued to generate the needed revenue, as Mayor Michael Doody noted following the council's April 18 vote. See the story here

To close the anticipated $2.2 million state revenue shortfall gap, the council voted to spend nearly $1.5 million in debt service savings, together with using an unprecedented $750,000 from the general fund surplus.

The official question on the ballot May 9 will read, "Shall the Town Council Recommended Budget of $50,558,303, which will require a mill rate of 33.51 mills, be adopted?"

Polls will be open for registered voters to respond from noon to 8 p.m. at the town's two voting places. District One votes at Jerome Harrison Elementary School (335 Foxon Road/Route 80); District Two votes at Stanley T. Williams Community Center (1332 Middletown Avenue/Route 17) in Northford.

The proposed 2017-18 budget can be viewed online here