Cheshire Town Council Advances FY2027 Budget Process, Sets April 15 Public Hearing
Town Council · Meeting of March 24, 2026
CT CHESHIRE — Cheshire Town Council schedules April 15 public hearing as proposed FY2027 budget projects an 8.9 percent tax increase. The joint Town Council and Budget Committee meeting on March 24 approved Resolution 032-426-01 unanimously, setting a 6:30 p.m. hearing at Town Hall on April 15, 2026. The current proposed budget carries a mill rate of 32.40, up from 29.74, equating to roughly $534 more annually for the average household assessed at $297,000.
Public Works Director Dan and Engineering Director Merrick Kennett presented department budgets totaling increases of 4.06 percent and 1.9 percent respectively, with the largest drivers being a completed streetlight purchase contract saving $124,366, a $114,584 jump in solid waste costs as the town's recycling cost share rises from 50 percent to 75 percent, and rising methanol and paving costs at the water pollution control plant. Kennett proposed beginning a 10-year transition to fund the town's $2 million annual road paving program through the operating budget rather than bonding, potentially adding $200,000 in year one, noting that every $1 million borrowed for roads costs $400,000 in interest over 20 years.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,029 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of March 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
CHESHIRE — March 24, 2026 — The Cheshire Town Council and Budget Committee met jointly Tuesday to review proposed departmental budgets for Public Works, Engineering, and Water Pollution Control, and voted unanimously to schedule a second public hearing on the fiscal year 2026-2027 general operating budget for April 15.
The meeting's proposed budget, as presented by Town Manager Sean, shows a current projected mill rate of 32.40, up from the current year's 29.74, representing an 8.9 percent increase. Council members spent considerable time on rising costs in solid waste, snow and ice response, and road maintenance, with staff raising a new proposal to begin shifting annual road paving costs out of capital bonding and into the operating budget.
The Full Story
Public Works Director Dan led off the evening with a slide presentation covering the department's two budget sections. The Public Works budget carries a 4.06 percent overall increase, with salary lines rising 6.02 percent driven largely by settlement of the public works union contract. The Public Properties section shows a 9.17 percent increase, with a 45.2 percent jump in its salary line attributable to the relocation of a PW3 maintainer position from the town pool into the Public Properties division for continuity of coverage. Dan noted offsetting savings on the utility side, including reductions of $22,867 in gas and $2,200 in heating costs, though electric costs are rising by $17,146 per a recommendation from the town's electrical consultant.
A significant one-time savings surfaced in the highways budget: the completion of a 10-year purchase contract for town-owned streetlights eliminates $124,366 in annual lease payments going forward. The town owns more than 1,800 streetlights, Dan said. That savings offsets a $47,569 increase in fees paid to the Regional Water Authority for water infrastructure in the roadway, which is now projected at $918,398 for the coming year. The snow and ice line drew extended discussion. Snow removal ran approximately $150,000 over budget on overtime in the current fiscal year, partly because multiple storm events fell on Sundays and holidays, compounding response costs. The budget adds $30,000 to that line for the coming year, and staff noted that diesel fuel prices, locked in through April under a regional cooperative agreement, could tighten those projections further if market prices remain elevated. The town's solid waste budget carries the largest single dollar increase in the Public Works section: $114,584, or 4.56 percent, in contractual services. A key driver is the town's recycling cost share, which increases from 50 percent to 75 percent this year under its contract, bringing the rate to approximately $79 per ton. Staff acknowledged the share will rise to 100 percent the following year. Council Member Don Walsh raised the possibility of restoring bulk waste drop-off service, which he said has been unavailable for roughly four years. Dan confirmed that the existing contract with EJ Waste includes rates for a 30-yard container available one Saturday per month, and that a full year of that service would cost approximately $50,000.
"Councils of the future would thank you for this." [no timestamp] — Merrick Kennett, Director of Engineering, on the proposal to begin shifting annual road paving costs from bonding to the operating budget.
Engineering Director Merrick Kennett presented his department's budget without slides, distributing printed handouts instead. He noted Engineering represents only 6 percent of the combined Engineering and Water Pollution Control Department budget, with WPCD accounting for the remaining 94 percent. The Engineering section is up 2.8 percent; the WPCD section up 1.8 percent; and the overall department up 1.9 percent. The largest WPCD line-item changes include a $60,000 increase to supplies and equipment for plant and pump-station maintenance — originally requested at $230,000 and trimmed to $210,000 by the town manager — and a $37,000 increase to program materials driven by rising methanol costs, now running more than $11,000 per month. Kennett also flagged the town's annual paving program, which he said requires $2.3 million per year to stay current but has historically received about $1.6 million, and received only $800,000 last year. He proposed beginning a 10-year transition to fund paving through the operating budget at an initial increment of $200,000 per year, avoiding bonding costs he described as adding roughly $400,000 in interest per $1 million borrowed over 20 years. The item is not included in the current budget submission but Kennett said it could be added as a new line. On Mixville Park, Kennett reported the boardwalk is under state DEEP review for flood-management approval before it can be bid, while the pavilion and bridge remain in design. A $1 million SCEP grant for the project received final execution documentation earlier that week.
Town Manager Sean then walked the council through a mill rate calculator spreadsheet he developed to help members model the tax impact of budget adjustments in real time. At the proposed budget level, the mill rate would be 32.40, up from 29.74, reflecting an 8.9 percent tax increase equating to an average of approximately $534 for a household with the average assessed home value — currently $297,000 in assessed value, or about $425,000 at 2018 full market value — plus two vehicles.
Why It Matters
With a proposed mill rate increase of 8.9 percent, residents will be watching closely as the council moves into deliberations. The April 15 public hearing will give residents a formal opportunity to weigh in before the council makes final adjustments. Key open questions include whether to add $50,000 for monthly bulk waste drop-off service, whether to begin a multiyear transition of the $2 million annual paving program into the operating budget, and how rising diesel and recycling costs will affect the final numbers. The tipping-fee contract for solid waste disposal expires in June, adding another variable before adoption.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Resolution 032-426-01, calling a second public hearing on the FY2026-2027 general fund operating budget, water pollution control fund operating budget, and community pool fund operating budget, for April 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, Town Hall, 84 South Main Street, Cheshire Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Motion to adjourn Tally: Approved unanimously
Source Cheshire's community access TV: Town Council meeting, March 24, 2026