New Canaan Health and Human Services Departments Present Reduced Budget Requests to Subcommittee
Town Council · Meeting of January 30, 2026
New Canaan's Health and Human Services Subcommittee heard budget previews from both town departments, with combined spending proposals showing year-over-year declines. Health Department Director Amy Lehini reported her department's expenses are projected down 6.4 percent, driven by reductions in salary, overtime, and software subscription lines, while a new part-time nurse salary line absorbs costs previously covered by an expiring grant. Human Services Director Mercy Rand reported her department's total expenditures are down 8.9 percent and outside agency grants drawn from the town budget are down 56 percent, with programs such as the Urgent Assessment Program and New Canaan Cares receiving the bulk of their funding from Connecticut DOT, Youth Services Bureau, and opioid settlement sources rather than the town's general fund.
The food pantry, funded entirely by donations, has already served 945 individuals in fiscal year 2026 against a full-year 2025 total of 1,699, with Rand projecting 1,800 to 2,000 users by year's end. The Town Council is expected to vote on the full budget in April.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 881 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of January 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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