Simsbury selectmen back using surplus, not health‑insurance reserves, to avoid raising mill rate

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen on April 23 unanimously agreed to support a plan that would use $1 million of the town’s projected $3 million year‑end surplus to offset next year’s operating budget rather than tapping $1 million in the town’s health insurance reserves, keeping the town’s proposed mill‑rate increase at 2.15%.

Finance staffer Amy laid out three options the Board of Finance had reviewed: (1) keep the original plan and use the $1 million in health insurance reserves, (2) use $1 million of the projected year‑end surplus instead and leave the health fund reserves intact, or (3) budget a $1 million tax increase — which would push the town’s tax increase from about 2.15% to roughly 3%. “One option is just we keep it status quo,” Amy said, describing the first…