Board of Finance

The Republican Financial Team that has kept Bethel Affordable

Over the past four years, the Republican-endorsed Board of Finance has:

• History of fiscal prudence
  • Proposed and Passed a zero percent increase town budget last year
  • The last four years had the lowest tax increases in 50 years
• Kept taxes lower through aggressive cost management
• Retained an appropriate Fund Balance to support our bond rating
• Responded to the needs of taxpayers and scrutinized every line item
• Provided to the taxpayers the ability to approve or reject the Town and Education Budgets
  
• In the past year, we've saved over one million dollars by cutting unnecessary costs.
• Approved Senior Tax Relief Benefits
• Approved Veteran’s Tax Relief Benefits
• Applied or received over 1 million dollars in State grants to help fund Capital projects, technology upgrades and police hardware
• Kept taxes down

Bethel's Budget Process:

1. The Board of Finance requires that each agency and department to submit a budget to the Board of Selectmen, and both boards hold a joint hearing on the budgets. The Board of Selectmen will make comments and recommendations on the budget.


2. The Board of Finance will then require the Board of Selectmen to present the budgets with their comments and recommendations to the Board of Finance. The Board of Finance shall then revise the estimates as it deems desirable and prepare a general town budget report.


3. The Board of Finance shall hold one or more public hearings on the general town budget, and then shall revise the estimates as it deems desirable. The Board of Finance then prepares a general town budget, and presents it to the annual town budget meeting.

After the town budget is approved at referendum, the Board of Finance sets the Mill Rate for property tax payments.

 

 

Please view the Eye-on-Bethel video featuring an interview with Board of Finance candidates Phil Gallagher, Bill Kingston and Tim Draper