Clinton Town Council Budget Meeting - March 12, 2026
Clinton Town Council Budget Meeting - March 12, 2026
The Clinton Town Council met on March 12, 2026, to discuss and vote on the proposed budgets for fiscal year 2026-2027. The meeting focused on reducing property tax burden following a state-mandated revaluation that shifted taxes toward residential homeowners. The council approved cuts to both the town and Board of Education budgets and set a public hearing date.
Discussion Items
- The town manager's original overall budget proposed a 3.4% increase. The council previously discussed a possible $500,000 reduction to mitigate tax impacts.
- Detailed analysis of a police officer's all-in cost (salary, benefits, pension) totaled $155,224. A new insurance broker is expected to save $45,000 in fees, leading to a proposed town budget reduction of $200,244.
- The council also proposed reducing the Board of Education budget by $300,000.
- Applying these reductions would result in the town budget increase being roughly zero (slightly negative), the Board of Education budget increasing by 4.5%, and the overall town budget increase at 2.6%. The tentative mill rate would drop to 22.55.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to reduce the Board of Education budget by $300,000: Passed unanimously.
- Motion to reduce the town budget by $200,244: Passed 6-1 (Jerry opposed).
- Motion to recommend the Board of Education budget of $44,788,204 (including operations, debt service, and capital) to a public hearing: Passed unanimously.
- Motion to recommend the town budget of $23,373,935 (including operations, debt service, and capital) to a public hearing: Passed unanimously.
- The public hearing is scheduled for April 20, 2026 (time to be corrected from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.).
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everybody to our town meeting on the budget for the fiscal year 2026 and 2027. I got a couple of words to say as an opening statement. It's mostly just a recap of the last meeting. So those of you who saw the last episode fast forward 15 seconds, like Netflix. But as many of you know, we just completed our state mandated town wide property tax revaluation. As a result, the tax burden shifted significantly towards residential homeowners. In simple terms, for many of us, this means higher monthly mortgage payments at a time when groceries, heat, and electricity are ready are already at record highs. The town and the board of education are not immune to these cost pressures. They are seeing spikes in fuel, utilities, labor, and fringe benefits. Yet the town manager's original overall budget proposed a modest increase of 3.4%. Our response in our conversation at the end of the last workshot was to propose a reduction, possible reduction of $500,000 to prepare for the conversation that's going to occur tonight. The town council's objectives remain clear to keep the tax burden at an absolute minimum minimum, to provide excellent public services that define the quality of life here in Clinton, and to protect the unique character of the town. This year's challenges are unique, but our commitment to a sustainable affordable fiscal plan is not. So that's where we stand, and now we'll start this meeting. So we did. So the police officer all-in cost for the salary, holiday pay, clothing allowance, social security, pension, and medical was 155,224. And then we had um we had a conference call with our new broker for insurance, and we were comfortable reducing that line item by 45,000, anticipating the savings by changing brokers and the um fees that they charge. So I came up with 200,244. And I have a copy of that for everyone with what that looks like, a breakdown, and then what the effect is on the actual. Yeah, the other sheet is uh when you apply uh the decrease of uh 200,000 uh 300 on a 200,000 two four-four and the three hundred thousand uh board of ed line item uh this would be the uh the result of uh what the budget would look like it was approved at this point, so it makes the town budget increase uh roughly nil, right? Zero it's actually a little negative, and it makes the board of ed budget increase 4.5 percent. Is that right? And then it brings the overall town budget increase to 2.6 percent, right? And what what's not on that sheet is the uh tentative uh mill rate of it brings it down to 22.55. I say tentative because you know the things uh you know that still have to happen that are after uh the town council approves this budget would be the uh the final groundless great any other questions. So um in my opening statement, I I referred to uh it being a multi-year effort. Um fiscal responsibility is not just one static year, and this is a difficult year, as I had said, because of the reval. And our plan is to set ourselves up for success next year and the year after, the year after, and I think that's this does that. So again, I want to thank the people who put together the budgets for uh for what the work they did. Um other comments or questions from the council. All right, with that, we'll see if we can get some motions so you gotta give me the number, right? Not yet, and to the town and that's effort to get to that number. Say again, make a motion for the amount reduced. Yeah, reduced the motion reduced in the amount of questions. I'll just go okay. Go with that, yeah. Okay, the town the town council, the town of Clinton here by oh I make a motion for someone to if anybody wants to make a motion on the town council to reduce the board of education budget by 300,000 dollars. So moved. Brian makes the motion, sure. First second, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Those opposed. Passes unanimously. I second motion is do we do need to buy line item or could we just do the two hundred thousand? So next is to make a motion to reduce the town budget by two hundred thousand dollars. Do I hear a motion? So moved. Carrie, second. Actually, two hundred two second.
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