What is the budget referendum?
Every year, Windsor’s Town Charter requires that residents go to the polls to vote on the town budget. This year’s referendum is Tuesday, May 13. You can vote at your usual polling place from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A YES vote is to adopt the budget. If the NO vote prevails, the Town Council will have to make cuts and hold another referendum, repeating the process for each NO result. Each additional referendum costs about $20,000.
Turnout at referenda is very low and often not representative of the community at large. The outcome has hinged on a small handful of votes many times over the years. That makes your voice crucial! Don’t let others make decisions that affect your life: vote Tuesday.
Click here for detailed information about the budget.
Why is spending increasing?
There are no new programs, services, or staff in this budget. Spending is increasing because costs keep going up for towns, just as they do for any business or family. Healthcare, utilities, transportation, building supplies, contract costs, and the impacts of inflation and tariffs raised the costs of doing business 7% over last year.
Town and school officials made $1.8 million in targeted cuts, then used an additional $2 million from the rainy day fund to reduce the effective increase to 4.7%.
But my taxes are going up more than that. Why?
Unfortunately, property taxes are based on the value of your property, not on ability to pay. During the pandemic, home values went up about 50% on average, while commercial properties appreciated by only 5%. This has shifted the burden from business to residents. As a result, most residents will see a property tax increase greater than the spending increase. This is not fair; in fact, it can be downright cruel, but the town has no control over how taxes are allocated. Change will require action at the state level. Click here to contact your state legislators, and here to contact the Governor.
The average Windsor homeowner, with a home valued at $321,630, will see their taxes increase by $23 a month from the budget, and an additional $38 per month as a result of property revaluation.
Can’t you just cut more?
Indiscriminate budget-slashing would ravage our town just as Elon Musk’s cuts are weakening our country. Over the years, the Council has engaged in so much fat-trimming that the most “nonessential” spending left to cut is on senior services, libraries, public works, and public safety. To get to no spending increase, we would have to drastically cut senior center hours and programming, cut hours at the libraries and possibly close the Wilson branch, leave potholes unfilled and roads unrepaired, cut the grass less often, and keep flat or even reduce police department staffing. Perversely, the Council wouldn’t be able to follow through on its plan to expand tax relief for low-income seniors (see below for more).
On the education side, sixty teachers would need to be laid off, or even more paraprofessionals, tutors, maintenance workers, custodians, and support staff. That’s 15% or more of our schools’ workforce. The consequence would be a severely degraded school system. Say goodbye to JROTC, elementary strings, and extracurriculars at Sage Park; say hello to crowded classrooms in deteriorating buildings. High school athletics might even need to move to “pay-to-play.”
If we were to put Elon Musk’s chainsaw to all these services, the average homeowner would save about $23 a month over the proposed budget.
Click here to try building your own town budget!
What relief is available from the property tax burden?
The budget includes a 50% increase to the Elderly and Disabled Property Tax Relief Program; enough to cover most of the tax increase for most participants. If the budget fails, those funds are unlikely to remain available. This creates a paradox: rejecting the budget would increase the property tax burden on our most vulnerable neighbors.
Seniors 65 and over and totally disabled people with income up to $62,200 are eligible. To apply, you must go to the Assessor’s office at Town Hall by this Thursday, May 15, 8:30 to 4:30. Please bring with you any and all proof of income for the last calendar year, including your Social Security 1099 statement (if you collect) and your completed income tax return (if you file).
Property tax relief is also available for veterans and volunteer firefighters. Call the Town Assessor for more info at 860-285-1817.
Why are you doing this instead of demonstrating in the streets against Trump?
It’s our duty as citizens to resist authoritarianism—but it’s also our duty to take care of Windsor. Our Town Charter requires us to fight this battle over resources every year, so we’re fully committed to doing so. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republican Party are trying to destroy the positive future diverse and caring communities like ours dream of; perhaps the best way to resist is to keep on building it.
Once the budget is passed, we’ll be able to pivot to other issues. In the meantime, check out the Connecticut Democrats’ Activist Guide to learn how to get involved in the fight!
