New Canaan Town Council Approves $181M Budget For 2025-2026

NEW CANAAN, CT — On Thursday, the New Canaan Town Council approved a total expenditure budget of $181 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, representing an increase of 3.47 percent over the current fiscal year, town officials said.

According to a news release breaking down the numbers provided by the town, the total expenditure budget includes Board of Education operating expenses of $95.38 million (up 4.36 percent) and Board of Education transfers to the Health Internal Service Fund expenses of $18.41 million (up 3.77 percent) for a combined Board of Education expense budget of $113.79 (up 4.26 percent).

In addition to these expenses, the budget includes $6.25 million of other Board of Education expenses paid by the town, officials said.

Town department operational expenses were approved at $34.93 million (up 3.25 percent). Other budget items include a combined town and Board of Education debt service of $18.38 million (down 2.80 percent) and tax-funded capital projects of $0.47 million (up 22.94 percent), according to town officials.

To fund this budget, the amount to be raised from taxation is $164.79 (up 4.24 percent), officials said.

"As with last year, the town continues to address the challenges of acute inflationary pressure and ever-increasing costs for items such as labor, energy, materials and healthcare," Town Council Chairman Michael Mauro said in a news release. "Nevertheless, Town Council dedicated volunteer members worked with the leadership teams from the town's departments in scrutinizing the operating and capital budgets to ensure that the standard of excellence expected by town residents will continue to be provided at the best value possible."

Mauro also emphasized council members carefully considered input from all community stakeholders, including those who sent them emails and spoke at their public sessions.

"The hallmark of a vibrant and strong community is measured by its robust citizenry engagement," Mauro said. "Town Council listened carefully and responded by passing a budget that continues to provide the resources for our public schools to remain best in class, for our first responders to maintain their vital efficacy in keeping us safe, for fortifying the beauty of our parks and the soundness of our infrastructure, for bolstering critical social services, and for enabling the library's ascent as a rising local and regional star."

The council's budget also takes into account the town assessor's reported 2024 Grand List increase of 0.38 percent to $9.940 billion from the 2023 Grand List of $9.90 billion, officials noted.

This Grand List, combined with an estimated $5 million fund balance drawdown, will result in a projected increase of the mill rate from the current 16.144 to an estimated 16.767 (up 3.86 percent), according to town officials.

The final mill rate, which determines property taxes, is to be set by the Board of Finance by June 10.

The full Town Council-approved operating and capital budgets for the 2025-2026 fiscal year can be found on the Finance Department's section of the town website.