Wilton residents and property owners will have the singular opportunity on Tuesday, May 5, to express their opinions on a range of budget-related items at the Annual Town Meeting, which takes place at the Clune Auditorium at Wilton High School (395 Danbury Rd.) at 7 p.m.
Official voting on the budget for Fiscal Year 2027, as well as several town matters that include a proposed lease with the nonprofit Friends of Ambler Farm, Inc., and nine separate items proposed for bonding, will begin immediately after the meeting Tuesday evening and then continue on Saturday, May 9, at the Clune Auditorium from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Town officials are proposing a town budget of $151,701,690, along with a mill rate of 25.0623 mils for FY 2027, which officially begins on July 1, 2026. This figure includes the Board of Education budget of $100.5 million, the Board of Selectmen combined capital and operating budget of $39.1 million, and $10.1 million in debt service.
The proposed $151.7-million budget represents a $5,865,895 increase over the current (FY 2026) $145,835,795 budget, or a roughly 4% increase.
Important Links/Documents
- FY 2027 Budget Survey Results
- FY 2027 Mill Rate Calculation
- Board of Finance Page
- Board of Education FY 2027 Budget Presentation
- GOOD Morning Wilton coverage of FY 2027 budget process
- Annual Town Meeting Sample Ballot
Town Referendums
With Question 1 about the recommended budget and tax rate, Questions 2 through 10 on the official ballot refer to nine different resolutions appropriating the issuance of nine separate bonds for the following items:
- #2: $2,000,000 for Road Restoration (paving, approximately seven miles)
- #3: $570,000 for Bridges (Kent Road Bridge Rehabilitation)
- #4: $1,367,749 for renovation of Ambler Farm Yellow House
- #5: $2,900,000 for Board of Education District Roof Replacement (partial roof replacement at Cider Mill School)
- #6: $955,030 for Board of Education Cider Mill School Sitework, Doors and Windows
- #7: $2,701,268 for Board of Education Cider Mill School Exterior Envelope Renovation
- #8: $265,500 for Drainage and Pavement for the Parking Lot Adjacent to Guy Whitten Field
- #9: $1,200,000 for Lilly Field Replacement
- #10: $300,000 for Four Outdoor Pickleball Courts
Each of these items has been discussed at length in Board of Selectmen meetings and totals $12,259,547 in bonding that the town would ultimately plan to take on. Town officials maintain that some of the borrowing would be put off for at least a year or maybe longer.
Question #11 pertains to the establishment of a Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures Fund (CNREF), which has been formed to target one-time, non-operating and non-recurring capital needs. The idea originated following expansive revelations about infrastructure needs regarding town and school facilities.
Question #12 pertains to the town entering into a New Written Lease with Friends of Ambler Farm, Inc. (FOAF) to Lease to FOAF the Property Known as Ambler Farm, Located at 257 Hurlbutt St., for an Initial Term of 10 Years, with Options to Extend.
The initial version of this lease drew concerns from various elected officials, including the Board of Finance, as it was felt that some of its terms were not in the town’s best interest. The town subsequently negotiated a new version of the lease with FOAF, which town officials are supporting.
Town Meeting Procedure
The Annual Town Meeting takes place every year on the first Tuesday in May.
All members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting, but only eligible voters can participate. There are two ways to be eligible to vote: 1) be registered to vote in Wilton and 2) be U.S. citizen, 18-years-old or older, and own taxable property with an assessed value of $1,000 or more on the Oct. 1, 2025 grand list.
Attendees who are not eligible to vote will be asked to sit in a different section of the auditorium, toward the back.
The meeting will follow Roberts Rules of Order and will unfold according to an agenda that will include the election of moderator to oversee the proceedings. Resident Steve Hudspeth is listed on the meeting agenda as the sole nominee for this role.
Town Counsel Ira Bloom is also scheduled to be appointed parliamentarian of the proceedings and will offer remarks on the process as it’s been outlined in the Town Charter and according to Roberts Rules of Order.
Comments on the particulars of the meeting will also be made by BOF Chair Tim Birch, Board of Education Chair Ruth DeLuca and First Selectman Toni Boucher.
Those who are in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting will also have the opportunity to offer their comments to elected officials, who will be present. While the town is not showing the meeting live on its website, GOOD Morning Wilton will once again be doing livestream coverage as a public service. The town has said it will later archive a video recording of the proceedings.
Eligible voters in attendance will also be allowed to make motions that will reduce the budget proposal; they cannot move to increase it. Among the motions they can make:
- reduce a specific line item in the BOS budget
- reduce the total of the BOE budget
- reduce specific capital or other appropriations that are listed separately in the meeting notice
They may not, however, make any motions that will impact the town’s legal obligations with regard to budget funding.
If a motion to reduce the budget is approved at the meeting, the revised amount becomes the figure voters will decide on at the polls. Only those attending the meeting in person may make or vote on such motions.
Once all motions and discussion are complete, the meeting will adjourn and voting will begin.
Voting Options
Any eligible voters present on Tuesday evening may cast votes after the meeting adjourns. Polls will close after the last voter casts a ballot Tuesday night — but they’ll reopen on Saturday, May 9 and voting will continue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Voters will have three options when they vote on the budget itself (Question #1).
- Vote Yes to approve the Budget and Tax Rate that comes out of the ATM
- Vote No, reject it, it’s too high
- Vote No, reject it, it’s too low
The town must see at least 15% of registered voters turn out and cast votes through Saturday — approximately 2,000 votes — otherwise the proposed budget passes by default, regardless of the voting tally.
If total votes exceed the 15% threshold, all “Yes” votes are counted together and all “No” votes are combined. If “No” votes prevail, the Board of Finance will revise the budget, taking into account whether voters felt it was too high or too low, and return a new proposal to voters.
Last year there were a total of exactly 2,000 votes cast from among 13,157 eligible voters, amounting to 15.2% of eligible voters participating. The budget passed with 1,476 voters approving; 396 voting no, too high; and 26 voting no, too low. The budget passed by straightforward vote tallies.
The other 11 referendum items (Questions #2-#12) will pass or fail based on the tally of votes, regardless of the total number on each question.
GOOD Morning Wilton will bring you results live on Saturday evening once votes are tallied.