#MiddleburyCT #SouthburyCT #Region15 #$224MillionBonding
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
UPDATE: 7 a.m. 05-04-2026: It is unfortunate the information in the original post, which was intended to clarify matters, was incorrect. That information was on page 12 of an undated Phoenix Advisors report picked up from a table outside the first selectwoman’s office in Middlebury Town Hall. The report was not marked “draft.”
We learned today from Board of Education member Sally Romano that it was a March 9, 2026, report, and it was a paper draft copy with a typo in it. Romano posted that the calculations were updated immediately after it was recognized, prior to being presented to the full board by Phoenix on 3/9/26.
Before we posted our calculations, we emailed them to both Superintendent Smith and Ms. Manzo. Manzo did not comment; Smith said the numbers came from the town finance departments.
As a journalist, my goal is to always present accurate information to readers so they can make informed decisions. In this case, I did not suspect the validity of either the source of the report I relied upon or the data in that report. Lesson learned.
Original post follows:
Just how much will property taxes increase if the $224 million bonding question passes at the May 6 referendum? A post on Facebook stated, “Taxpayer Impact: Projections for a 30-year bond estimate a MONTHLY impact of $7-$14 for a typical household and $2-$4 for a typical Heritage Village unit. The highest projected impact to your taxes for the region 15 school rebuild projects is approximately $168 annually.” The $7-14 a month number comes from the Region 15 website, www.r15facilitiesupdate.com/items, March 24, 2026, posting.
We believe the monthly tax property tax increase will be far greater. Let’s take a closer look at that $7 to $14 a month number:
The 30-year amortization schedule on which these numbers are based states the annual tax impact per $100,000 in assessed value for Middlebury for year 2027-2028 is $240. That is $20 a month.
This means a person with a home assessed at $100,000 would pay an additional $20 a month, not $7 to $14 a month, for a total of $240 a year.
The owners of a home assessed at $500,000 would pay an additional $100 a month, not $7 to $14 a month, for a total of $1,200 a year in additional property taxes.
To figure your additional monthly payment, divide your assessed value by 100,000 and then multiply that by $20. That is the monthly additional payment. Multiply that by 12 to figure out how much the annual increase will be.
Middlebury and Southbury voters will decide this question at the budget referendum Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Feel free to check the calculations above and let us know if you feel there are errors in them
