I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the first few weeks of spring. In this month’s Board of Finance (BOF) newsletter, we’ll be covering three key topics: the budget survey, our April budget deliberations, and what to expect at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting.
Board of Finance Budget Survey
First, thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s budget survey. Your input was incredibly valuable and directly informed the BOF’s deliberations. Below is a brief summary of the results; for the full breakdown, visit the BOF page on the Town of Wilton’s website.
A total of 720 residents completed the survey — 64% of the number who voted on last year’s budget. The survey asked residents to weigh in on the following:
- The Board of Education’s (BOE) requested budget of $97 million, a $3.7 million (4.0%) increase over FY25
- The Board of Selectmen’s (BOS) requested budget of $37.4 million, a $1.6 million (4.4%) increase*
- A resulting mill rate of 24.6, representing a 2.7% increase
Survey responses showed majority support (53%) for the BOE budget, while the BOS budget and the mill rate received less than 50% support — 41% and 40%, respectively.
*Note: the survey was conducted prior to the BOS and BOE budget hearings (held on Mar. 19 and Mar. 26), and before adjustments and corrections to the BOS budget and debt service (discussed further below).
Budget Deliberations
The BOF met on Apr. 1 to adopt a recommended FY2026 budget and mill rate to present at the Annual Town Meeting.
Following detailed analysis and thoughtful consideration of community feedback, the BOF unanimously voted to recommend a total FY2026 budget of $145.8 million, a 3.9% increase over FY2025, and a mill rate of 24.4054, a 1.93% increase.
Here’s how we got there:
- Board of Education: The BOF fully supported the BOE’s requested $97 million budget (4% increase), which aligned with our November guidance.
- Board of Selectmen: After review, the BOF reduced the BOS’s requested increase by $271,562, resulting in a final BOS requested budget of $37.1 million (3.65% increase). The primary components of the reduction were:
- Line-item updates and corrections identified prior to the BOF budget deliberations. These changes were made in collaboration with Town Hall staff and are outlined on the Town website.
- Elimination of lifeguards and operating costs due to the temporary closure of Merwin Meadows Pond during its restoration project
- Debt Service: Reduction of approximately $1.2 million due to corrections and a reduction in FY2025 forecasted borrowings from $15 million to approximately $9 million
- Grand List Growth: Wilton’s Net Taxable Grand List increased by ~$75M (1.3%), generating over $1.8 million in new tax revenue—more than 40% of the total new taxes needed this year.
To estimate your new property taxes, you can use this formula: (Assessment × 24.4054) ÷ 1,000. For example: a $1,000,000 assessed home = $24,405.40 in annual taxes. You can find your home assessment online on the Town website.
The BOF took a balanced and disciplined approach, proposing a mill rate that meets our fixed costs and contractual obligations while also investing in education, infrastructure, and community services. We believe this budget reflects both the priorities and fiscal sensibility of our residents.
Bonding Referendum Questions
At our Apr. 8 regular meeting, the BOF reviewed the BOS’s proposed Bonding Questions for this year’s Annual Town Meeting vote.
Under the Town Charter, the BOF may choose to recommend, not recommend, or provide no opinion on each Bonding Question. While the BOF did not provide an opinion on the $1,286,618 request for the restoration of the historic Raymond Ambler Farm House at Ambler Farm (a.k.a. the White House), the BOF unanimously voted to recommend the following Bonding Questions (which are explained in an online presentation):
- Road Restoration — $700,000
- DPW Large Truck/Plow/Sander for Snow Removal — $ 330,000
- Wilton High School Library Roof Replacement — $2,000,000
- Cider Mill Chilled Water Replacement, Equipment and Piping — $1,547,678
- Middlebrook School Floor Tiles, Ceiling Tiles, & Lighting — $1,646,314
- Wilton Public Schools Drainage, Sidewalks & Paving — $725,000
- Middlebrook Exhaust Fan Replacement — $373,000
- Middlebrook Gymnasium HVAC — $250,000
- Artificial Turf Field — $700,000
Annual Town Meeting
The Annual Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at Wilton High School’s Clune Auditorium (395 Danbury Rd.). Continued machine voting will be held on Saturday, May 10, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., also at Clune Auditorium.
The May 6 meeting will feature presentations from the BOF, BOS and BOE Chairs, followed by public comment. Voting will begin immediately after.
If you’re unable to vote in person on May 6 or May 10, you may request an absentee ballot from the Town Clerk’s office. Please note: under state law, absentee ballots for this vote must be picked up in person and cannot be mailed. Please review the absentee ballot application online and plan accordingly.
If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Annual Town Meeting!
Matt Raimondi
Chair, Board of Finance
email