Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mill Rate topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Simsbury Board applies $330,950 in state education relief to lower FY27 mill rate
Summary
After receiving $407,895 in state funds, the Board voted to apply $330,950 of supplemental education and DRACULA grants to reduce the town‑only mill rate to 33.67, producing a 1.97% town‑side tax increase; members expressed caution about using one‑time funds for ongoing relief.
The Simsbury Board of Finance voted unanimously on May 19 to use $330,950 in supplemental state education aid and District Relief and Compensatory Use Learning Aid (DRACULA) funding to lower the town’s FY2026/2027 mill rate.
Finance Director Amy Meriwether told the board that the town received $407,895 in additional state funding after the budget referendum: $165,475 in supplemental education funding, $165,475 categorized as DRACULA, and $76,945 from a Pequot‑Mohegan grant. Meriwether said applying the combined education and DRACULA funds would set the town‑only mill rate at 33.67, a 1.97% increase on the town side (exclusive of motor vehicles). The prior levy calculation based on the referendum budget reflected a town‑only mill rate of 33.78 (2.3% increase).
First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis cautioned the board that the Pequot‑Mohegan funding is one‑time, and several board members expressed reluctance to assume additional recurring relief in the absence of confirmed ongoing state support. "The Pequot‑Mohegan funding is one‑time," Mackstutis said, and Regina Pynn urged prudence in using funds that may not recur.
Bert Helfand moved to utilize the supplemental education aid and DRACULA grants totaling $330,950 and to set the town mill rate at 33.67; Dr. Lalitha Shivaswamy seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The board also voted to set the motor vehicle mill rate for FY2026/2027 at 32.36 mills on a separate unanimous motion.
The Board discussed trade‑offs between short‑term tax relief and preserving one‑time funds for capital or reserves, and members asked staff to track the recurring status of state education funding in future budget cycles.
Next steps: staff will monitor whether the additional state education aid is recurring and include that determination in future budget planning.
