The Board of Finance on Tuesday set the mill rate at 18.58 for the fiscal year 2008-09, which begins July 1, an increase of 1.17 mills from 2007-08.

Under the new mill rate, property owners will pay $1,858 for every $100,000 of assessed value.

The mill rate increase was due to a 7.2 percent boost in the town side of the budget, a 6.2 percent hike in the education budget and a 7.7 percent increase in debt service from last year, according to Chief Fiscal Officer Paul Hiller.

On Monday night, the Representative Town Meeting adopted a 2008-09 budget of $245,498,879. The budget represents a 6.7 percent increase over 2007-08.

Hiller said Fairfield's budget increase is in line with other municipalities within the region. "It's probably in the midpoint of where some other towns are," he added.

Of the $245 million approved Monday night, $80,238,417 is for the town operating budget, $139,614,137 is for education and $25,646,325 is for debt service.

Hiller said he wasn't particularly pleased with the mill rate increase. "I don't like it. I've got to pay [increased taxes] myself," he said. "I share the pain with everyone else."

Hiller said the budget hike is being driven by items such as energy costs, health insurance costs

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and labor contracts. "All the standard stuff," he said.