Branford One Of 37 Towns To Get $8K State Grants For Cemetery Upkeep

BRANFORD, CT — The town is one of 37 across to receive a grant for providing maintenance to neglected cemeteries, Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week.

"Cemeteries are solemn places, and taking care of them is essential to respecting those who have passed and preserving the heritage of our communities," Lamont said. "Our local cemeteries are the final resting places of veterans, local leaders, and ancestors of current town residents. Maintaining them helps to ensure that the deceased are remembered in a respectful manner."

The grants, totaling $8,000 each, are being released under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM). Established in 2014, this program is funded from revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health through the issuance of death certificates. To be eligible for a grant, towns and cities must have submitted an application to OPM.

Grants can be used by the municipalities to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.

Recently, state Sen. Christine Cohen welcomed the state's investment in the maintenance and care of neglected graveyards in the 12th Senate District. Guilford and Middlefield are also set to receive the $8,000 grant.

"Cemeteries are not only a resting place for those who have passed on, but a place where we can return to remember our loved ones," Cohen said. "I am grateful for this state partnership in ensuring that these final resting grounds are properly maintained out of respect for both the living and the dead."

Cohen proposed and helped pass legislation in 2023 to convene a working group to ensure family members of deceased veterans buried in Connecticut cemeteries. The proposal came after Cohen received reports from constituents regarding the quality and condition of their loved ones' grave sites at a number of cemeteries across the state. Family members say they have little recourse to see the conditions improved due to limited resources at many cemeteries and limited legal oversight, some volunteers work to clean and clear grave sites themselves. The working group is continuing to meet to address the issue.