05/06/2026
Last night, the Democrat controlled Town Council passed a budget representing a staggering 4.7% increase; yet it will leave our school system underfunded while prioritizing consultancy fees and ignoring the real value of the dollar to taxpayers and students.
The recent budget deliberations have made one thing clear: there is a profound disconnect between the rhetoric of supporting our community and the reality of the votes being cast.
The Board of Education’s (BOE) request was never about a "wish list." Of the $8.5 million increase requested, $6.9 million (82%) is locked into contractual obligations for salaries and benefits. These are not "nice-to-haves"; they are legal requirements. To underfund them is to guarantee cuts to staff and programs.
Despite this, the request was gutted from the start:
The Initial Cut: The First Selectman slashed the BOE’s request in half, ignoring the role schools play in maintaining property values and economic health.
The Missed Opportunity: The Board of Finance (BOF), the only body with the authority to restore this funding, failed to act. A Republican motion to restore $1.5 million—a meaningful step toward stability—was defeated along party lines.
Optics Over Action: Instead, a token $500,000 restoration was passed. This was a political fix designed for appearance, leaving millions in required funding unaddressed.
Withheld Information: Critical transparency was missing. Only after the vote did the BOF Democratic leadership acknowledge an email from the Superintendent stating that $900,000 could have made the budget workable. This information existed earlier in the day; why was it not shared when it could have changed the outcome?
During hearings, several "savings" were proposed that do not hold up under scrutiny. A proposed three-tier bussing system (~$400,000 savings) effectively shifts costs onto working families who must then pay for additional childcare. Similarly, a $200,000 utility cut was suggested without any data to support.
Once the total budget got to Town Council, Democrat attempts to protect unnecessary spending were evident throughout:
Not one reduction in spending was proposed by the Democrats on Council.
Democrats defeated a Republican-proposed $50,000 reduction for tax assessor consultancy fees and a Republican-proposed $16,000 reduction to a line item meant to offset declining revenue from library late fees. (Yes, they want tax payers to cover lost revenue from late fees, by waiving them altogether).
With regard to Economic Development, Republicans originally wanted to cut $65,500, and then pivoted, agreeing to leave $15,500 in the account just in case support was needed immediately to finalize any kind of sales or other contractual obligations. Once that motion passed with only 5 Democrats voting yes, another Democrat Town Council member tried to make a motion to add BACK $25,000, even after the Economic Development director said the money wasn’t needed at this time. The motion was eventually withdrawn, but the thought was there.
Democrats have no respect for the residents of this town and their hard earned money. They believe that anything they can characterize as “pennies on the dollar” or “just $150 per year” is meaningless to residents of this town. They feel entitled to spend our money. One Town Council member this week was noted to have stated on Facebook (in regards to the senior center survey cost), “The cost of this survey is about $25K. That amount of money is a rounding error for our Education budget. I totally understand and share your concerns about Education funding in our town and all of the state frankly, but + $25K wouldn’t be a big difference in our Education budget.”
To put that "small" amount into perspective, $25,000 could fully equip at least four special education classrooms with 44 new laptops for students and teachers ($14,000), Funding for field trips ($4,400), Teaching supplies and life skills training materials ($4,000), and 40 headphone sets ($600), just as an example.
Where are the additions to the grand list to support this 4.7% increase? If the town continues to increase expenses by staggering percentages while failing to fund the "backbone" of the community—our schools—the burden falls solely on homeowners.
The record is clear: you cannot claim to champion education and the underserved while consistently voting against the funding required to sustain them. The residents of this town deserve transparency, fiscal responsibility, and a budget that reflects their actual priorities.
Are these your priorities? Is this what you thought you voted for?
