Windsor Town Council Special Meeting – Preliminary Budget Deliberations

This hybrid meeting (in‑person and via Zoom) was held on April 29, 2025 (note: the agenda posted the meeting as April 28 2025). The Town Council heard public comment and held preliminary deliberations on the proposed Fiscal Year 2025‑2026 budget, which includes significant property tax increases driven by the state‑mandated revaluation and shifting commercial property values.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Linda Alexander (155 Field Sun Dr.) – Urged the council to consider how rising taxes make housing unaffordable and perpetuate exclusionary practices. Stated that spending and tax increases are unsustainable.
• John Catharino (48 Arrow Brook Rd.) – Opposed the budget proposal. Cited an 18% tax increase last year ($789), a proposed 20% increase ($904), and a cumulative 450% increase since 1987. Criticized the lack of a detailed line‑item breakdown and alleged that council members receive stipends, bonuses, and salaries (a claim refuted later by council members).
• Sally Gersman (106 Niles Rd.) – Supported keeping the Board of Education budget as passed. Noted her children’s IEP and 504 plans, and that the administration already cut nearly $1 million this year, including a preschool program. Warned further cuts would lead to staff layoffs and disruption.
• Lawyer Lockhart (57 Columbia Rd.) – BOE member (Vice President). Expressed full support for the Board of Education budget, highlighting ESSER‑funded tier‑two and tier‑three supports to address the achievement gap. Defended the volunteer firefighter stipend, stating it is a token thank‑you for a service that saves the town millions.
• Dennis Bomber (123 East View Dr.) – Spoke in favor of the education budget. Cited moving to Windsor for the schools and urged the council to tap into the rainy‑day fund if needed.
• Jack Willen (433 Lantern Way) – Opposed the proposed budget due to the resulting tax increase. Stated his taxes would rise $2,035 (26.1%) over two years. Proposed three reforms: index senior tax increases to Social Security COLA, freeze senior property taxes at age 65 or 70, and raise the income limit for the senior tax relief program to $75,000 (current limit $62,200).
• Unnamed resident (female, no name given) – Expressed concern that homeownership is becoming unaffordable and questioned why student reading deficiencies are not corrected early on. Asked what happened to additional revenue from the first half of revaluation.
• Becky Jacobson (50 Lighthouse Hill Rd.) – Parent of five children, three with IEPs. Stated she strongly supports the education budget over cost concerns, arguing that cuts would harm the school system and drive families away, as happened in Enfield.
• Speaker (131 Toby Ave.) – Reported a 45% tax increase ($3,600 to $5,200) over two years, citing the shift from commercial to residential property values. Stated he will likely sell his house and move out of town. Criticized the revaluation method and urged the council to “fix it.”
• Tracy Zodder (28 Spring St.) – Thanked the council for its diligence. Commended the mill rate reduction and argued that cutting the budget will not improve test scores or economic strength. Emphasized that SBAC results are a single snapshot.
• Jeremy Halleck (1890 Poquonick Ave.) – Opposed the budget, stating it is too high. Suggested double‑counting in mental health services and recommended cuts. Also stated he voted for the BOE budget only to avoid an even higher increase, and criticized the council for not respecting the voters’ referendum result last year.
• Ayanna Taylor (88 Firmstead Ln.) – BOE Vice President (also a parent). Urged the council to be intentional and support the BOE budget. Emphasized that the budget is bare‑bones, with no fluff, and that most costs are salaries, insurance, and other fixed expenses. Noted that the budget passed with bipartisan support.

Discussion Items

• Mayor and Council Members clarified that they receive no compensation, stipends, or tax breaks (volunteer positions). Councilor Ellifeld and Pelkey strongly rebutted any suggestion that council members or volunteer firefighters are overpaid. Pelkey noted that volunteer firefighters save the town $5–$10 million per year compared to a paid department, and their stipend (max ~$2,000 per person) is a small token of thanks.
• Town Manager Sousa explained the state mandate for revaluation every five years. He detailed the shift from commercial to residential tax burden due to declining commercial property values (examples: Voyag, Depot, Walgreens – total $2.3 million in lost revenue). He also noted that the council used $4 million from reserves for pay‑as‑you‑go capital projects to avoid long‑term debt.
• Councilor King (online) reiterated the untenured volunteer status of council members and noted the BOE budget was bipartisan. He emphasized that the same total tax pie is just redistributed due to revaluation, and that other towns are facing similar challenges.
• Councilor Naeem highlighted the council’s prior actions to increase senior tax credits and veteran exemptions to $62,000 income limits and establish a line‑of‑duty death exemption. He compared Windsor’s mill rate (below 30) and BOE budget (~$90 million) favorably to West Hartford (44.78 mill rate, $214 million BOE) and Avon ($118 million BOE). He noted that cutting $4.5 million reduces the mill rate by about one point.
• Councilor Ellifeld explained the budget process: the town backs into the mill rate after subtracting all revenue and applying a 98.75% collection rate. He warned that using reserves to plug gaps could jeopardize the town’s AAA bond rating, increasing borrowing costs. He also stressed the value of volunteer firefighters.
• Councilor Walker emphasized listening to taxpayers’ message of affordability and called for “outside the box” thinking rather than repeating the same approach.
• Councilor Pelkey presented data from a GIS analysis showing tax increases across different neighborhoods (25%–30% over two years). He noted that the town’s spending increases outpace inflation and Social Security COLA increases. He argued that the town needs to “bend the spending curve down” to maintain affordability and warned that future development may not offset revenue losses.
• Mayor added that the town’s budget is available online in a detailed line‑item format and that Windsor won a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. She also acknowledged a comment about mental health services and said the council will review that line item.
• Councilor Naeem questioned the impact of a zero‑percent increase on both town and BOE budgets. Town Manager Sousa responded that a zero‑percent town operating increase would require cutting $2.9 million, which could come from pay‑as‑you‑go capital (street repaving, fleet replacement, public safety equipment) or from about 30 full‑time equivalent positions (salary plus benefits ~$90,000–$100,000 each). He noted that such cuts would reduce services like street repaving and library hours. Councilor Naeem calculated that a zero‑percent overall increase would save a typical homeowner only about $374 per year compared to the proposed budget, but with significant service reductions.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken. The meeting was a preliminary deliberation in advance of a final deliberation scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, 2025 (with another public comment opportunity).
• Council scheduled additional budget forums:
  • May 6 (Tuesday) at 6:30 PM at Windsor 330 Windsor Avenue.
  • May 7 (Wednesday) at 6:30 PM at Poquonock Elementary School (hosted by the League of Women Voters).
  • May 8 (Thursday) at 10:00 AM at the Senior Center.
• The council will continue discussions and ultimately send a budget to referendum; several speakers urged the council to respect the voters’ decision.