Once a year, that’s it.
But truthfully, as a Wilton resident, you have only one time that your town truly needs you.
And that time is tonight.
Wilton’s form of government is the Annual Town Meeting. Once a year, the town holds a meeting to review and vote on the budget for the next fiscal year, a budget that is paid for mostly by the taxes you and I pay. Town officials have worked hard all year to administrate town business and to put together a budget to continue running that town business, provide services to its residents and maintain the town in good financial standing.
This year’s meeting takes place tonight, Tuesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Middlbrook School Auditorium (131 School Rd.). (There will be an adjourned vote on Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Wilton High School Auditorium, for anyone who cannot attend Tuesday evening.)
Here’s what’s in front of voters this year:
Operating Budget
The Town of Wilton’s FY ’15 budget, as proposed by the Board of Finance, is a total $110,167,892. That’s a 2.03 percent mill rate increase from 25.9896 mills to 26.5179.
Here’s how that breaks down between the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education:
- The BoS have put forth a budget of $31,766,767, or a 2.65 percent increase over last year. (operating $30,528,460, capital bonding $1,184,307)
- The BoE is asking voters to approve a budget of $78,401,125, up 2.97 percent over FY ’14.
There is a copy of the proposed budget on the Town website; you can find it here.
Here’s how you can vote on the total budget: ‘yes,’ ‘no too high’ or ‘no too low.’ If fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters cast a vote, the budget will automatically pass. If 15 percent or more cast a vote, the budget can be rejected if the majority vote ‘no’ against it.
Bonded Capital Projects
There are five–five!–bonding questions on the ballot this year.
- $595,000 to replace a 20-year old fire engine
- $9.9 million for proposed renovations to Comstock Community Center
- $3.5 million to continue the road repaving program
- $250,000 to complete the town’s commitment to renovate the Ambler Farm white farmhouse
- $500,000 for school security facility improvements
Here’s how you can vote on each of the bonding questions: Voters can either vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on these questions. Unlike the overall town budget, these bonding questions will be decided by majority, no matter what is the percentage of voter turnout.
In the spirit of making sure as many people fulfill their civic responsibility as possible, it’s important to note that if you can’t vote at either of the dates, there will be absentee ballots available. They need to be picked up in person at the town clerk’s office between Wednesday, May 7 and Friday, May 9.
You can see the sample ballot on the Town of Wilton website, on the Registrars of Voters page, here.
Want to make sure you can vote? Here’s who can (and, ahem, should) vote (according to the League of Women Voters):
- All registered voters, regardless of whether they own property in town.
- All US Citizens, resident and nonresident, liable to the town of Wilton for taxes on real property–or a motor vehicle–with an assessment of at least $1,000 on the Oct. 1 grand list.
If you have purchased property in Wilton after Oct. 1, 2013, your name will not appear on this grand list. In that case, you must be a registered voter in order to cast a ballot at the town meeting. In all cases, you must be a US citizen to vote and at least 18 years old.
You can still register to vote at the Wilton Town Hall, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can download a voter registration application from the town website or call the registrars for information at 203.563.0111. You can also register to vote online, if you have a valid CT driver’s license.