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$59.87M North Branford Budget Adopted Following Referendum Vote

With only 2.1% of voters turning out on Tuesday, May 9, the annual budget question referendum vote did not meet the required 15% threshold to trigger any actions impacting the Town Council’s proposed 2023-'24 Town budget of $59,874,502. As a result, the $59.87 million budget is adopted with a new mill rate of 34.52 mills, up 1.29 mills from the current rate of 33.23 mills. North Branford’s new fiscal year begins July 1, 2023.

As previously reported, debt service, up 29.41%, is a major expense hitting the budget’s bottom line. North Branford’s debt service (bond repayment) costs have gone up due in large part to some major projects underway, including building the new high school and the new police facility/emergency communications center. In all, North Branford has tacked on $1,110,513 in new debt service expenses for the 2023 - ‘24 fiscal year.

The $59.87 million budget provides $20,712,633 for town government and $33,400,714 to the BOE. It supports $4,886,851 for debt service, $222,304 for capital improvements, and $625,000 from the general fund for capital.

Budget revenue sources will include non-tax revenue of $4,250,272, state grants for education of $7,112,086; an application of $725,000 from the general fund; a capital appropriation of $625,000; and $47,235,144 raised from taxation (assuming a 98.5% tax collection rate), less $100,000 for local elderly tax credit.

Results of the May 9 voting session showed at total of 196 electors, or 2.1%, came out to the polls. North Branford has a total of 9,227 registered voters. In District 1, 82 voters responded. In District 2, 60 voters came to the polls and in District 3, 54 cast their votes.

In response to the question, “Shall the Town Council Recommended Budget of $59,874,502, which will require a mill rate of 34.52 mills, be adopted?” overall voting results tallied showed 47 voters overall accepted the budget; while 136 voters rejected the budget as too high; and 13 rejected it as too low.