Town Meeting Offers Opportunity for Budget Input

Farmington will hold its Annual Town Meeting Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at Farmington High School. The meeting, a New England tradition that some consider anachronistic, calls for all eligible votors of the town of Farmington to come together to discuss the town’s business — mostly its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

And though the town’s budget will be officially decided by referendum, scheduled for May 3, the town meeting gives residents the power to directly impact the proposed budget.

According to the Town Charter, “The Annual Town Meeting may increase or decrease the amount of any appropriation in the recommended budget and may authorize an appropriation that is not in the recommended budget.” Such a change requires at least a two-thirds majority of those voting on the item, with at least 300 voters participating. The budget is then sent to referendum as amended by the Town Meeting.

But more than that, the annual meeting of town electors offers residents an opportunity to hear a full range of presentations on the $90.3 million and to engage with town officials in a way afforded by no other forum.

Town Council Chairman Jeff Hogan urged residents to attend to hear officials’ presentations, to voice their opinions and to hear what their neighbors have to say about it.

“This is where the town can question the motivation for policy decisions or why the budget was put forth in the way it was, especially this year when we have issues coming – mainly revaluation and reassessments – and people are really concerned.”

Past policymakers usually offer their opinions on the budget and add a historical perspective to the town meeting, Hogan said.

“The primary utility of the town meeting is transparency… people of town asking for answers and offering their opinion in a very public way,” Hogan said.

Those interested in how the town is governed, regardless of their perspective, advocate for participation in the town meeting.

“I strongly encourage anybody in town that gives a damn about the budget and about our property taxes to be there. Yes, they are going to hear from me a different view [than what’s been portrayed by officials],” said Farmington Taxpayers Association president Harry Kraiza.

On the other side, co-president of Farmington Future, Liz Fitzsimmons, who together with Beth Kintner reinvigorated the group to support the budget process, said she hopes to see a high participation rate this year.

“This really is transparency in government. Everyone who makes decisions about the budget, everyone who puts it together, is there on that night and you have the opportunity to ask whatever you want,” Fitzsimmons said.

And while Farmington Future is not looking to increase the budget as it did last year, the town meeting is also an opportunity to protect the budget, she said.

Farmington will hold its Annual Town Meeting Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at Farmington High School. All residents are invited to attend.