Jewett City 'Freeman' pass budget (22-6) while 1400+ voters do not attend

Board Approves Jewett City Budget
by Megan Bard - published by The Day - May 16, 2007

To offset a potentially significant tax increase for borough residents, the Board of Warden and Burgesses decided Tuesday to use more of the borough's surplus to lessen the impact.

The $454,784 Borough of Jewett City budget for 2007-08 was approved Tuesday at the Annual Freeman's Meeting by a 22-6 vote.

The budget, which is a $43,089 increase over the current year, had been proposed to require a 2.25 mill tax rate. With the recent revaluation of all taxable property within the town of Griswold, including the borough, the impact for some could have meant a 50 percent increase in taxes.

For this reason, after the budget was approved, the warden and burgesses agreed to set the new tax rate at 2 mills, using an additional $32,059 from the borough's surplus account.

Burgess Alan Geer expressed some concern about this decision, saying it might leave the borough with too little to pay for significant emergencies. With the transfer, the fund balance is left at $27,197. Nonetheless, the entire board was in favor of the decision.

“It's important. We needed to get it whittled down to where they can handle it,” Geer said of the tax impact on residents living on fixed incomes.

Warden Cynthia Kata, a former town assessor, said the tax increase on a residential property with an average assessment of $112,000 will be $49 for the year.

“This is about the best we can do,” Kata said after announcing the tax rate.

Resident Ron Ward had been planning to ask for the borough utility company — which sets the electrical and sewer rates — to contribute more to the budget to offset the tax increase. Ward did not make the request during the meeting, however.

Instead, Ward said he will ask the utility commissioners directly to contribute more in the future. The company contributed $100,000 to the budget's revenue projections in the approved budget.

The majority of the borough budget's increase is attributed to salaries for borough positions, including extending the hours of the tax collector from part time to full time, and retaining two resident state troopers. It also includes $10,000 more to maintain the borough's fire hydrants.