Date: Fri 13-Feb-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

budget-grand-list

Full Text:

Newtown Budgetmakers Await Grand List Figures

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Town and school officials are anxiously awaiting word from the tax assessor's

office on this year's grand list.

They are counting on a large increase in the list of all taxable items to

offset high costs brought about by a proposed overall budget of more than

$57.8 million.

Both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education are expected to hand their

budgets over to the Legislative Council next week. The council will then

determine if any cuts are needed. Right now, the proposed town budget

represents a $5.2 million increase over last year. However, the grand list,

the town's overall revenue, is expected to be significantly higher that it was

a year ago. Last year's tax rate leveled out a 26.2 mills.

In 1997, the Legislative Council was forced to cut $200,000 from the school

budget after being pressed under the weight of a $3.3 million revenue

shortfall. Due to revaluation, last year's grand list saw an increase of only

0.5 percent. The increase is expected to be more like 3 percent this year.

The grand list is usually due by February 1, but Tax Assessor Denise Hames

received an extension. She expects to have a final figure by the end of the

month.

Earlier this week, the Board of Education passed its proposed $32,759,872

budget on to the Legislative Council. The school budget is up 10.1 percent.

The Board of Selectmen was scheduled to take one more look at the selectmen's

side of the budget Thursday night. The town side of the budget now stands at

$25,092,273, an increase of 3.1 percent.