Ellington Voters Cast Their Ballots On 2025-26 Budget Proposal

ELLINGTON, CT — Just over 9 percent of the town's 11,731 registered voters turned out at the polls at the Ellington Senior Center Tuesday to cast their ballots on the fate of the proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

A total of 598 voters, or 56.3 percent, were against the $72.84 million proposal submitted by the Board of Finance, which would have resulted in a 1.5 mil tax increase. Yes votes were cast by 464 residents, or 43.7 percent.

A second referendum is scheduled at the senior center on Tuesday, June 10 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Prior to that date, three deliberation meetings are scheduled: Thursday, May 29; Monday, June 2; and Tuesday, June 3. All meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Nicholas J. DiCorleto Jr. Meeting Hall in Ellington Town Hall.

Town administrator Matthew Reed told Patch the rejected budget allotment had originally been trimmed by $422,000during initial deliberations. Following the failed vote Tuesday, the Board of Finance met to begin looking at ways to cut an additional $500,000 before the next referendum, which would limit the tax increase to 1 mil.

Reed said town officials made information about the budget proposal easily available to residents in numerous ways, including via social media.

"I made a big effort to post the information on all the various Ellington Facebook groups," he said.