The municipal and school department budgets will be voted upon at Barrington's financial town meeting on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held inside the Barrington High School auditorium. 

The proposed budget calls for a 3.36 percent increase to the tax rate. Town officials have said that if the budget is approved as is, the tax rate will climb from $19.50 (per $1,000 of assessed value) to $20.20.

What does that mean? For a Barrington resident whose home is currently assessed at $400,000, their current tax bill of $7,800 will increase to $8,080.

The proposed municipal government operating budget currently calls for a 3.96 percent increase, while the school department's proposed operating budget includes a 4.1 percent increase. Barrington Finance Director Kathy Raposa said the total town expenditures increase is 3.54 percent. School officials said that the school budget's impact to taxpayers drops to 3.9 percent when factoring in an increase in state aid.

Barrington resident Tom Rimoshytus has filed an amendment to reduce the school department's operating budget by $246,000. 

The financial town meeting is open to the public. 

The tax rate change

The current tax rate in Barrington is $19.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The proposed budget is calling for a 3.36 percent increase to the tax rate, which would push it to $20.20. Here's how that new tax rate would impact Barrington residents' tax bills:

Assessment — Current bill — Proposed tax bill

$200,000 — $3,900 — $4,040

$300,000 — $5,850 — $60,60

$400,000 — $7,800 — $8,080

$500,000 — $9,750 — $10,100

$600,000 — $11,700 — $12,120

$700,000 — $13,650 — $14,140

$800,000 — $15,600 — $16,160

$900,000 — $17,550 — $18,180

$1,000,000 — $19,500 — $20,200