Wilton Budget Passes Following Low Voter Turnout

WILTON, CT — Less than 5 percent of the town turned out to vote Saturday on the annual budget referendum, which gave the 2021-22 town and school spending plans an automatic pass.

According to the town charter, the budget automatically passes if less than 15 percent of the town's registered voters cast ballots. Of the 12,547 who could cast votes on Saturday, only 531, or 4.23 percent, did. The final tally was 415 votes in favor of the budget, 114 who voted "No, Too High," and zero votes for "No, Too Low."

The approved town budget of $33,485,486, which includes $1,275,233 in capital expenditures, is a 1.73 percent increase over the current spending plan. The new school plan ($84,804,215) is a 2.99 percent increase over fiscal year 2020-21. The new mill rate of 27.86 will translate into a 1.48 percent tax increase for Wilton residents.

The five bonding referendums on the ballot were all approved: