LTE: Fairfield DTC Discusses Board Of Finance Passing Town Budget

The following Letter to the Editor is from the Fairfield Democratic Town Committee:

To the Editor:

[On Wednesday], the Board of Finance passed the 2025-26 Fairfield town budget. It will next move on to the Representative Town Meeting for consideration.

• A year-over-year increase of $12.8 million and 5.82% to the education budget. In a bipartisan vote last night, the board restored an additional $1 million on top of the Board of Selectmen’s restoration of $1.9 million last month. We support these restorations and commend the boards for their hard work.
• An overall Mill Rate increase of about 2 percent, which will be set by the Board of Finance after the RTM passes the budget.

• Five new much-needed police officers.
• Additional and more efficient community services by consolidating youth programs, recreation, social services and the senior center under the seasoned leadership of Anthony Calabrese.
• Hiring a professional risk manager to safeguard the town.
• Absorption of the Parking Authority into a Town Department to better and more professionally manage the budget and services.
• Critical improvements at the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) that are long overdue.

Professional Management and Leadership from Town Hall

This financially sound, effective budget lays the groundwork for a successful fiscal year. Under Bill Gerber’s leadership, the town has realized essential efficiencies and savings that will minimize costs to taxpayers:

• Additional revenue from the installation of speed cameras and fines (which also helps meet an essential goal of increasing traffic safety).
• A $1 million+ savings in healthcare costs by sending the contract out to bid.
• A $6 million surplus - caused by overtaxing residents by the previous administration - that has been effectively returned to taxpayers
• The formation of a capital projects group to allow the town to more effectively manage spending

We thank First Selectman Gerber, Selectman Christine Vitale, and town staff for their hard work and professionalism. We also extend gratitude to the Board of Education for their months of work to pass a budget that continues to provide excellent public education in Fairfield, and the parents and residents who strongly advocated to effectively fund our schools.

As the budget moves to the Representative Town Meeting, we look forward to the leaders of that body performing their own due diligence and careful consideration.

— Fairfield Democratic Town Committee