To the Editor:
The Annual Town Meeting earlier this week is important to all of us. The budget will automatically pass if at least 15% of the registered voters of Wilton don’t turn out to vote.
This year the increase is bigger than typical due to a perfect storm of impacts.
- The reevaluation — mandated by the state to be done every five years
- The shift in the tax load from commercial to residential — commercial fell and residential increased as a percentage of the tax load
- The requirement by Moody’s to keep our Aaa bond rating, to set aside 25-35% instead of the historic 10%
- The temporary extra funding from the federal government for COVID is gone
- The impact of inflation on increased costs
- Catching up with delayed maintenance — this kept past budgets lower but now we must pay the piper
- Honoring our contracts to our town and school employees, who do outstanding work; salaries are a huge part of the budget.
I am hopeful this tax jump is a one-year spike. Please vote ‘Yes’ on the budget.
Whether you voted Tuesday or will vote Saturday, May 11 — please vote!
Deb McFadden
Editor’s note: to learn more about voting on Wilton’s annual town budget and the referendum questions, read GOOD Morning Wilton‘s previous coverage. Continued voting takes place this Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wilton High School Clune Auditorium (395 Danbury Rd.).