By MARJORIE NEEDHAM #MIDDLEBURY
Tuesday, April 5, taxpayers can attend the Middlebury town budget public hearing, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the fire house at 65 Tucker Hill Road. At that hearing, the Middlebury Board of Finance will present the proposed 2016-2017 town budget of $10.4 million. This budget is 2.7 percent higher than the current $10.2 million budget. Last year, the budget increase was 2.1 percent.
The town’s estimated mil rate before Region 15 lowered its budget slightly (by $180,810) was 31.17. That is 1.05 mils higher than the current mil rate of 30.12, which makes it a 3.5-percent increase. This compares to a .83 mil, or 2.8-percent increase last year.
At a mil rate of 31.17, Middlebury property taxes will increase as follows. Taxes on properties with an assessed value of $175,000 will increase $183.75 to $5,454.57 from $5,271. Taxes on properties with an assessed value of $250,000 will increase $262.50 to $7,792.50 from $7,530. Taxes on properties with an assessed value of $500,000 will increase $525 to $15,585 from $15,060.
Middlebury’s portion of the Region 15 budget is increasing more than $900,000 compared to the $664,463 increase in the current fiscal year.
Middlebury and Southbury voters will head to the polls Wednesday, May 4, to vote on the Region 15 budget and their respective town budgets.
