Stamford Board of Representatives Fiscal Committee Budget Hearings – April 8, 2026

The Fiscal Committee of the Board of Representatives held budget hearings on April 8, 2026, at 6:31 p.m. (the meeting started at 6:31 p.m. on April 7th per the transcript, but the official date is April 8th per the instruction). Co-Chairs Eric Morrison and Andrew Zachary presided. Presentations were delivered by the Registrars of Voters, City and Town Clerk, Charter Oak Communities (Schofield Manor), Engineering Department, Building/Zoning/Anti-Blight divisions, Affordable Housing, and the Land Use Bureau. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational.

Discussion Items

Registrars of Voters

• Monica Di Costanzo and Lucy Corelli presented. The budget is nearly identical to last year except for a 0.4% salary line increase due to a 5% pay plan increase and 1.2% FICA adjustment. No expanded services are proposed. Challenges include state-mandated new equipment (maintenance costs rising from $2,800 to over $45,000–$50,000), renovations affecting polling locations, and the need for state legislation to reduce early voting days (currently 14 days, no Sundays). Representative Virgil De La Cruz inquired about backup for ballots if federal authorities seize them; the registrars stated they cannot copy ballots per state statute and rely on legal and security protocols. Representative Emile Goldberg noted the department has minimal control over its budget due to state mandates.
• Key statistics: 24 districts, primary on August 11, 2026, same number of elections as prior year.

City and Town Clerk – David Hoke

• Hoke presented staffing changes: converting deputy town clerk to assistant deputy town clerk, administrative coordinator to senior administrative coordinator, and upgrading one index clerk to index clerk 2. Budget increases requested: $30,000 seasonal, $10,000 professional consultant (portal software and archival specialist), $7,000 education/training, $40,000 contracted services (IQS system renewal), $20,000 office supplies (archival paper, binders), and $10,000 election expenses (ballots, postage, scanners, translation). Revenue from conveyance tax and fees totals $7.1 million year-to-date (through March), though large commercial transactions drove this and may not recur. Identified potential reductions if needed: contracted services, seasonal, and professional consultants. Challenges include filling a vacant index clerk position, addressing aging records and vault infrastructure, and planning a customer counter renovation for safety.

Charter Oak Communities – Schofield Manor

• Natalie Cord, Executive Director, presented the request for $578,820 in operating support for Stanford’s only residential care home (owned by the city). The mayor reduced the request to $511,680, resulting in an estimated $66,000 loss. The facility has 50 beds but occupancy is 88%, with reimbursement based on census. Rising costs include a 10% increase in food service vendor costs, utilities, and staffing (24/7 medical staff required). Medicaid reimbursement increased by only $4.76 per patient day, insufficient to cover inflation. A registered nurse is retiring and will need to be replaced. Co-chair Zachary asked how the deficit is covered; Cord replied that Charter Oak uses resources from other properties.

Engineering Department – Lou Casello

• Operating budget is down 3.7% ($124,000) from last year due to reduced electric rates and a FICA correction. Revenue from excavation and obstruction permits totals $1.6 million annually. Capital budget request is $5.9 million, composed of city bonds and state grants. Major projects: Mill Road Bridge ($1M, 50% state grant), Old Long Ridge Road Bridge ($1M, 50% state grant), Animal Control Shelter ($900,000 for contaminated soil removal and demolition), citywide drainage ($200,000), Cove Island seawall restoration ($350,000), John Bakutsi Park Phase II ($750,000 for soils management and amenities), and citywide roadway correction ($50,000). Casello highlighted completed projects: bridge replacements, animal shelter foundation, EV chargers, Cove Island Marina dredging, Cummings Park renovation, Scalzi Park tennis and pickleball courts, and school infrastructure work. Representative De La Cruz noted the master plan for Bakutsi Park is nearly 10 years old and urged support for funding.

Building, Zoning, and Anti-Blight – Sean Reed

• Building Department: No new programs. Requesting $16,500 for code books due to pending state code changes. Challenges include potential new Oracle permitting software (tested but not functional) and aging fleet vehicles. Efficiency: weekly walk-in permitting sessions and faster code interpretations.
• Zoning Enforcement: Requesting $3,000 additional overtime for after-hours inspections, $1,000 for identification shirts, and $1,000 for office supplies (printing citations). No new programs. Challenges: sharing one vehicle among three inspectors and the zoning enforcement officer. Performance: reduced Fix It Stamford complaint backlog from 270 to about 20-25.
• Anti-Blight: Requesting $25,000 for legal expenses due to increased citations from the mayor’s street-to-street initiative (record 192 citations last year, up from 75-80 average). Revenue from enforcement was nearly $470,000 last year. Cross-training completed between land use clerk and code enforcement coordinator.

Affordable Housing – Emily Gordon

• Requesting $3 million for the Affordable Housing Fund: $2 million for Stanford Manor rehabilitation (215 units, 100% affordable senior/disabled housing, expected completion 2028) and $1 million for St. John’s redevelopment (305 units, 100% affordable, completion 2029). The city subsidy is 2.7% of total project cost for Stanford Manor and 5.6% for St. John’s (assuming additional $2M from Affordable Housing Trust Fund). Representative Walston asked about recertification; John Gottlieb (Charter Oak) explained residents will temporarily move within the building and switch from public housing to Section 8 project-based, with no change in rent calculation. Representative Adams asked about vacancy payments under Section 8; Gottlieb stated that units would not remain vacant long due to lengthy waiting lists.

Land Use Bureau – Ralph Blessing

• No program expansion. Total department expenditures increase 4.5% due to requests for contract services ($75,000 for a downtown/Bulls Head land use study) and purchase property services. Capital budget requests: $500,000 for a citywide athletic fields assessment (85 facilities managed by Parks & Rec and Schools), and a Below Market Rate (BMR) management system (no dollar amount specified). The BMR system aims to create a single waitlist for 1,300 BMR units and improve compliance monitoring. Challenges include lack of an application management system (hoping for city-wide solution).

Key Outcomes

• No votes or formal decisions were taken during the hearing. The Fiscal Committee will continue deliberations. A joint public budget meeting with the Board of Finance is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Rippowam School auditorium (receive mode only). Committee members and the public were encouraged to attend.