Selectmen forward $186.9 million budget, flag 6.2% tax hike
Board of Selectmen · Meeting of January 29, 2026
New Canaan selectmen forward a $186.9 million budget but call the 6.2% tax hike behind it unsustainable. The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the fiscal 2027 general fund budget, including $172,665,942 to be raised through taxation, after a marathon line-by-line review with town and school officials. "Right now, the amount to be raised through taxation is at 6.2% year-over-year, which is not a sustainable number," the presiding First Selectman said, asking the Board of Finance to cut it by "a percentage, percentage and a half." Selectmen recommended pulling roughly $2.6 million from the Board of Education's capital request, including a $1.4 million high school PA and security system and about $650,000 in carpeting, and pushed a $1 million softball turf project back a year.
Town operating costs rose 2%; Board of Education operating costs rose 3.9%. Officials also announced a $1.092 million federal grant for a wastewater treatment UV upgrade.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,121 words
Source: the Board of Selectmen meeting of January 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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