The town of Pomfret board passed a 2025 budget with a slight tax increase at its November meeting. The tax hike is attributed in part to rising costs in the latest fire protection agreement with Fredonia.

Pomfret Town Supervisor Dan Pacos also pointed to additional debt service charges for the Van Buren and North End water districts within the town. The districts are in the midst of large-scale construction projects.

Board member John Sedota asked why costs were going up in the latest three-year fire protection agreement with the Fredonia Fire Department. “Our cost is based on a share of the village budget,” Pacos said. “If their budget goes up, our cost goes up.”

“We pretty much have to do what they want after they do their budget,” Sedota replied. He later added, “I’m not in favor of a hike like this, but it sounds like we really don’t have a choice.”

Pacos noted that the state is pushing for regionalization of services, and it is focusing on police and fire departments and school districts first.

The 2025 Pomfret budget will contain a 1.96% tax increase. The town differentiates between taxpayers outside and inside the village of Fredonia. Fredonia tax rates will go up 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed property, while Pomfret landowners outside the village will see no change.

The board had to pass a tax cap override law, Pacos said, because the state-mandated tax levy limit for the town this year is $1,493,538, but the town’s budgeted tax revenue for 2025 is $1,588,445.

Deputy Town Supervisor Ann Eckman later stated that the town should ask to be included in fire protection discussions with Fredonia before the village passes its budgets.