Litchfield board, budget panel at odds over $150k

LITCHFIELD – When it came down to it, $150,000 separated the Litchfield School Board and Budget Committee’s proposed budget for next year. At a town and school budget hearing Thursday night at Campbell High School only a few people spoke during the public comment-and-question period, mostly about cutting $150,000 in school district wages and benefits. The school district’s proposed operating budget is $20.9, an increase of 1.19 percent, or $245,861. The tax rate for the district’s portion of the budget represents $14.16 per $1,000 of assessed value. The current tax rate is $12.79 and the proposed 2013-14 tax rate represents a 10.7 percent increase. If the operating budget passes without any of the other three warrant articles, a $300,000 home will see taxes go up by $524 next year. “Our goal is when we go through the budget is to try to understand the tax impact and understand the needs of the community,” Budget Committee Chairman John Harte said.