Somers sets temporary mill rate after voters reject budget three times

Somers selectmen approved a temporary 23.46 mill rate on June 23 after voters rejected three budget proposals in June, a stop-gap move town officials said was necessary to keep the town paying its bills while the budget fight continues.

The temporary rate is 1.06 mills higher than Somers' current rate. It is also slightly above the 23.36 mill rate attached to the $41.9 million budget voters rejected on June 16, which is the same spending plan the town will put back before voters on June 30.

Why officials acted now

Chief financial officer Brian Wissinger said the town needed to set a mill rate because bills still have to be paid, including bond notes. First Selectman Tim Keeney said town leaders could not wait for a final budget before establishing a tax rate.

Keeney said state revenue is down and the town's fund balance cannot be reduced any further. Without a working budget, officials said, Somers still has to maintain enough revenue to meet obligations and keep the town operating.

William Meier, a selectman, voted against the temporary rate.

Three failed budgets

The budget struggle began in May, when the Board of Finance first proposed a budget of just under $43 million. Voters rejected that plan by 26 votes.

Officials then brought a revised $42.7 million budget that trimmed spending on both the town and school sides. That proposal also failed.

A third budget, reduced to $41.9 million, was rejected on June 16. That budget carried a 23.36 mill rate, slightly below the emergency rate selectmen approved this week.

Town leaders have said they have already made cuts and are reaching the limits of what can be reduced without more serious service impacts.

What residents are already seeing

Keeney said cuts have already affected the senior center and the transfer station, both of which are now closed one day a week. Officials said the town is trying to avoid deeper reductions while still keeping basic services running.

Residents are facing an immediate property-tax rate increase under the temporary mill rate. The town said the higher stop-gap rate is needed now to keep revenue flowing while the referendum process continues.

The immediate concern is cash flow. Somers says tax revenue has to keep coming in even before voters settle the budget question, or the town could struggle to pay obligations on time.

What happens next

Somers will ask voters again on June 30, 2026, on the same $41.9 million budget that failed on June 16. If that vote passes, the town can move toward a final budget and adjust tax bills accordingly.

If voters reject it again, officials may bring a budget with more cuts to another referendum on July 14, 2026.

For now, the town is operating under a temporary tax rate while leaders try to break a budget stalemate that has already forced repeated revisions and service reductions.