First Selectman Jeff Capeci has indicated during his recent budget presentations at the Board of Selectmen meetings that if the town were to budget for all the same services in fiscal year 2025-26 that there are in fiscal year 2024-25, the increase on the town side would be a 4.71% spending increase, as opposed to the 1.94% spending increase currently proposed in the town budget. This comes at the same time as the Board of Education is reviewing a budget that includes a 6% spending increase while also eliminating 28.11 full-time equivalent positions.

One does not envy our town officials being put in this position and making difficult choices between affordability and providing residents and schoolchildren with the same level of service they have now, let alone the inability to add to services as has been the case for years as costs continue to spiral.

As noted in our coverage of Capeci’s budget presentation, the town faces a number of “major headwinds,” including motor vehicle valuation changes and total exemption for permanently disabled residents, meaning a $785,000 loss in revenue, the general fund balance reported at 9.4% in the fiscal year 2024 financials means a $1.2 million loss of fund balance revenue, other revenue reductions totaling $455,000, a $1.5 million for town and $2.4 million for school employees benefits increase, the Capital Non-Recurring Fund fully expended by the five-year CIP meaning no available capital funds, a significant town need for public safety enhancements and contractually obligated expenses not budgeted for in prior cycles. See front page story for additional details.

At this point, it seems everyone is tired about hearing that this year is going to be a hard year and there’s no room for any advancement in the budget, only regression. The old curse, “may you live in interesting times” certainly comes to mind as residents and municipalities struggle under the weight of inflation and the lack of affordability, as energy costs, insurance costs, rent costs, grocery costs, and everything else continue to advance at unsustainable rates. As the town suffers many of those same pitfalls as our individual households, its budget becomes, unfortunately, another rising cost among many for residents.

That is not to say all is dark. With a 1.94% spending increase on the town side, Capeci is clearly doing what he can to keep the tax increase manageable for residents. And with 28.11 layoffs, the schools are doing the same. Plus, the budget is still to be reviewed by both the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council, and may see changes.

We hope that town and school officials and residents can come to a mutually beneficial agreement on this year’s town budget; our town services and school services are the ones that most directly affect us, more so than those of the state or federal government. Decisions now will affect property values down the road, so keeping Newtown an attractive place to live is a priority.

While a same services budget may be possible, hopefully town officials can juggle just enough and keep enough of the metaphorical pins in the air to keep the effects of budget cuts being felt too much by residents and students.

And hopefully, better times are to come.