Middletown Common Council Special Meeting – Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 Budget

The Middletown Common Council held a special hybrid meeting on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building Common Council Chamber and via WebEx, to conduct a public hearing on the City of Middletown's proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 general fund budget and five special budgets. The hearing began with a reading of the meeting warrant by the Chief of Police, followed by public testimony from residents, city employees, students, and officials. No council deliberation or votes on the budget occurred during the hearing; it adjourned after all testimony and written comments were received.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ann (last name not stated), resident and Russell Library trustee: Urged council members to work collaboratively and nonpartisanly; expressed full support for the Russell Library and its free resources for residents.
• John Tucker, biology teacher at Middletown High School and LPAC vice president of the Middletown Federation of Teachers: Framed education as an investment, citing a 2021 study that a $1,000 decrease in per-pupil funding widens the achievement gap by six points; asked the council to invest in students.
• Kristen Holden, City of Middletown risk manager and Westfield resident: Opposed the proposed reduction of the insurance and benefits coordinator (IBC) position to $1, arguing it would increase long-term costs, shift focus from prevention to reaction, and overburden remaining staff.
• Rogers Pylon, 80 Round Hill Road: Argued that a flat grand list cannot support a budget increase of about 5.6% without raising the mill rate; asked the council to explain the increase, justify new recurring positions, and align spending with tax-base growth.
• Deborah Dodenhoff, 87 McCormick Lane: Noted her property taxes rose from under $2,500 in 1990-91 to over $9,200 in January 2026; complained that the mayor's office did not respond to her email about a property tax late fee.
• John Lisca (referred to as "Joan" by the chair), 467 Kelsey Street: Requested funding for comprehensive road repairs, saying deteriorated roads damaged both of his cars; also asked that a planned parade be self-sustaining rather than taxpayer-funded.
• Adam Haynes, 70 Bealfield Road, chairman of the Middletown Republican Town Committee: Urged the four Republican council members to vote against any budget that increases taxes and to bring forward an alternative plan to cut taxes.
• Trevor Charles, 505 Kelsey Street, teacher and coach: Argued that school funding is an investment with high returns; asked the council to fully fund the school budget to preserve teachers and relationships with students.
• Bill Wilson, 220 Woodbury Circle: Said school enrollment fell from 5,197 students to just over 4,300-4,400 over 11 years while budgets continued to rise and test scores fell (math proficiency 20%, reading 41%); announced he is leaving Middletown due to high taxes and poor roads; claimed three of his ten neighbors are also leaving.
• Christine Lucien, 48 Grand Street, parent ambassador for the Early Start program and founder of Foreman Flesh LLC: Encouraged continued investment in initiatives that strengthen families and collaboration with local facilitators and small businesses.
• Shanese Reed, sophomore at Middletown High School: Opposed teacher cuts, describing how a close relationship with a teacher improved her attendance and grades.
• Emma Milner, sophomore at Middletown High School: Asked the council not to cut teachers or programs like American Studies, citing improved grades from teacher connections.
• Chris Bevins, longtime resident: Expressed concern about discrepancies among department, finance, and mayor's budget versions, including a roughly $15 million increase (about 10%) in one version.
• Stephen Schaubach, 6 Cuber Manor: Opposed a proposed $10 million increase for the police department, questioned police responsiveness, defended Wesleyan University's contributions to the city, and suggested the city create an endowment.
• Matt Reich, 173 Butternut Street: Supported funding for libraries, health services, and the proposed grant-writer position; urged Wesleyan to increase financial contributions, noting that its property tax exemption costs the city $11.6 million annually.
• Justin Carbonella, 1678 Randolph Road, city youth services director: Asked the council to center the needs of vulnerable youth and families when making budget decisions.
• Megan, 167 Russet Lane: Supported the Russell Library and the Department of Health; urged against forcing public health to choose between services like warming shelters and domestic violence support.
• Vinny Rufino, 16 Bluegrass Drive, president of Local 466 union: Highlighted deferred maintenance of city buildings and equipment, risk of overtime from unfilled positions, and the effect of inflation; asked the council to consider long-term consequences.
• Leah McMullen, senior at Middletown High School: Thanked her teachers and opposed teacher cuts, saying teachers are the core of the educational system.
• Carrie Henry, 70 Grove Street: Urged the council not to be afraid to invest in the city, citing schools, libraries, roads, and bus shelters as worthwhile investments.
• Aaron Jones, 165 Lincoln Street: Called proposed school cuts "pennywise and pound foolish," citing threats to the International Baccalaureate program, the McDonough STEM Academy, and a grants coordinator position; asked the council to fund schools.
• Julie La Madeiris, 156 Meadow Wood Drive: Supported the Russell Library (estimating her family saved about $13,750 in five years) and the public schools.
• Eamon Wozneski, 65 Sabona Drive: Celebrated the Russell Library's receipt of the Excellence in Public Library Service Award; expressed concern about cuts to its maintenance line, highlighting aging infrastructure; asked the council to preserve the library budget and use additional state aid for repairs.
• Stephen Kovac, Chief of Staff, reading a letter from the mayor and himself: Presented the $217 million general fund budget (a 5.49% increase), noted more than 20 positions funded at $1, a $3 million increase in pension funding, and double-digit increases in health and insurance costs; asked the council not to reduce the budget further and to restore $1 positions if additional state funds arrive.

Written Comments

• The council clerk noted receipt of letters from Diane Smith and another resident, both in support of the Russell Library.

Key Outcomes

• The public hearing on the FY 2026-2027 budget was held and formally closed.
• No budget amendments, motions, or votes were made during the hearing.
• The mayor's office asked the council to avoid further budget reductions and to use any additional state funding to restore positions currently funded at $1.
• The meeting adjourned by voice vote after all testimony and written comments were received.