Letter to the editor from Jill Obelander, Chair of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET)
On Monday, May 13, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will vote on a budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1 and runs through June 30, 2020. The budget being considered was approved by the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) on March 28, 2019 and represents months of work by the Town, Greenwich Public Schools and numerous boards and commissions.
The recommended General Fund (Operating) budget, including Fixed Charges, is $390,351,069, which is an increase of 4.1% over the current year. The budget also includes a tax levy for capital projects equal to $53,847,000.
The capital projects included in the recommended budget total $51.7 million in expenditures.
As presented, the budget anticipates a 2.98% increase in the real property mill rate. This marks the eighteenth consecutive year for which the rate of increase in the mill rate was 3.5% or less.
The recommended budget reflects community values. It emphasizes maintaining Town services at the community-desired level, continued support of high-quality schools at established class size guidelines, investment to…
