About 100 Bethany residents showed up at town meeting on Monday night expecting to vote on the 2014-2015 budget. Unbeknownst to them, the Board of Selectmen decided last Monday night to move the budget to a referendum by a vote of 2-1, with First Selectman Derrylyn Gorski voting ‘no.’ The public hearing to explain the proposed budget had already occurred on April 21 and those in attendance on Monday night, many of whom were also in attendance for the April public hearing, demanded to know why this last minute change occurred. Selectman Aileen Magda explained that she believes there will be greater participation for a referendum than for a town meeting.
But recent referenda results do not bear this out. Last fall, only 19% of the 3,963 eligible voters in Bethany came out to vote on a building addition to the Bethany Community School. Earlier this month, only 7% of all eligible Bethany voters came out to vote on the Amity Regional School Budget. At a cost of between $2000 and $3000 dollars for each referendum, the costs start to add up.
In the case of the 2014-2015 town budget referendum, residents will be asked to vote on June 2 in favor of a $22.7 million dollar budget without knowing what is included unless they attended the public hearing on April 21 or read and understood the line items published in the Bethany Bulletin by the Board of Finance in the May edition.
Find out what's happening in Bethwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
When asked what happens to the 2013 Grand List tax bills scheduled to go out in June if the mill rate is not set due to a ‘no’ vote on June 2, Town Counsel, Kevin McSherry explained that tax bills will go out using the current mill rate of 29.6. A second printing and mailing would then be ordered after a budget is approved and a new mill rate is set in order to collect the remaining taxes for real estate, motor vehicles and personal property.
Bethany resident, Christine Sullivan expressed her dismay that the town meeting form of government that has existed since Bethany was incorporated in 1832 will not be used to approve this budget. Her words received loud applause from many in the room.
