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Simsbury sets town mill rate at 33.67 mills after board elects to use state education relief grants; excludes Mohegan Pequot one-time funds
Summary
The Board of Finance voted to apply $330,950 in state education-related supplemental grants to lower the town-only mill rate to 33.67 (a 1.97% town-side increase), excluding a separate Mohegan Pequot one-time grant. The board debated whether the grant streams were recurring before voting unanimously to set the rate and separately set the motor-vehicle mill at 32.36.
The Simsbury Board of Finance voted to use supplemental state education grants to reduce the town-only mill rate and set the rate at 33.67 mills, a 1.97% town-side increase for the coming fiscal year.
Board members said they had received rapidly changing guidance on which state education dollars could be treated as recurring. Amy, the finance director, displayed a levy-calculation worksheet showing alternatives that incorporated different pieces of state funding. After discussion about the reliability of two relief sources — one widely referred to in discussion as ECS and another described in meeting remarks as the "District Relief and Compensatory Use Learning Aid" (referred to in colloquial discussion during the meeting as "Dracula") — the board agreed to apply supplemental education grants totaling $330,950 but to exclude a separate one-time Mohegan Pequot payment.
"The 14% is funded. The 14% is funded by the fiscal year 27 premiums," the finance director said during the discussion as members reviewed how reserve use and grant application would affect the mill calculation.
Chair Lisa Harmon framed the choice as a balance between returning money to taxpayers now and protecting the town against a possible future revenue cliff if some of the newly announced funds prove nonrecurring. Members argued both sides: several colleagues said their peers in other towns were budgeting the grants as recurring based on guidance from municipal associations, while others urged caution and recommended treating uncertain elements conservatively.
After weighing the options and excluding the Mohegan Pequot one-time payment, the board moved and approved a resolution to set the town-only mill rate at 33.67 mills. The board also set the motor-vehicle mill rate at 32.36 effective July 1, 2026; both motions passed unanimously.
Why it matters: Mill-rate decisions translate directly into taxpayer bills. The board calibrated the rate to capture newly announced education relief while explicitly excluding one-time payments the board did not consider stable revenue. The decision will lower the town-side tax increase modestly (finance staff estimated roughly $34 per year for a $50,000 home under the reduced scenario).
What's next: The board will monitor state guidance about ongoing education funding and noted it would revisit assumptions during revenue reviews later in the year.
