Southington finance board votes 4-2 to approve increase in tax rate

Friday, June 1, 2012 9:56 PM EDT

By SUSAN CORICA
STAFF WRITER

SOUTHINGTON ? The Board of Finance has set the new tax rate at 27.48 mils, over a week later than mandated by the town charter due to a partisan disagreement over the budget.

The board met briefly Tuesday and voted 4-2 on the new tax rate, which is 3.2 mils over the current rate. The vote went along party lines, with the two Democratic members, Anthony Casale and Sandra Feld, voting against.

Originally, the board met May 16 to take up the issue, but tabled it because the Republicans didn?t have a sufficient majority to pass the tax rate. With Board Chairman John Leary absent, the resulting vote to approve was 3-2, short of the 4-2 majority required to set the tax rate.

During the earlier meeting, both sides accused each other of making inaccurate statements about the recently concluded budget process. Joseph Labieniec, who was acting as chairman in Leary?s absence, said the tax rate is simply a mathematical formula, regardless of whether or not one approves the budget as adopted.

Casale insisted the Republicans simply rubber-stamped the budget, without ever considering serious spending cuts. Casale and Feld repeatedly refused to vote for the tax rate in protest.

Labieniec pointed out that the board is required by town charter to set the tax rate by the third Monday in May, which this year was May 21.

Town Manager Garry Brumback consulted Town Attorney Mark Sciota for a legal opinion. Brumback reported that the panel could abdicate the responsibility of setting the tax rate to the Town Council or call a special meeting when Leary was back in town, which is what the board opted to do.

The board?s disagreement came in the wake of the Town Council?s 6-3 approval May 14 of the $127.7 million budget, the three Democrats opposing the spending plan.

The council vote came after the three Democrats raised a number of motions to cut the budget further in various areas, and even in one case to increase money for road maintenance. However, they were repeatedly voted down by the majority Republicans.

Council Republicans accused the Democrats of trying to micromanage Brumback. The 2012-13 budget was the first one crafted by Brumback, who has served as town manager for a little over a year.

Susan Corica can be reached at (860) 584-0501, ext. 7259, or scorica@bristolpress.com.

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