News From The Wilton First Selectman's Office - April 18, 2025

Press release from the Town of Wilton:

April 18, 2025 - 3:53pm

NEWS FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN’S OFFICE - April 18, 2025

Wilton - Where you Belong… and Why We Love It Here

It seems that many people love Wilton, judging by our grand list, which grew by a whopping $75 million this past year. This data speaks to the town’s growing value and why people are paying premium real estate prices to live here. Newcomers constantly tell us how much they love Wilton’s village charm, its wooded hills, its historic buildings, and its top ranked school system.

Wilton is also known for ASML, a world leader in precision optics, lithography and advanced precision manufacturing. They are also a key player in semi-conductor fabrication. Although the company’s headquarters are in the Netherlands and it has several US locations, Wilton is home to its largest manufacturing plant. ASML in Wilton is an extension of Wilton’s history as an important source of innovation in the semi-conductor industry, which helped give birth to this technology. Did you know that ASML’s predecessor in Wilton, Perkin Elmer, was responsible for the CO2 Sensor that saved the astronauts during the Apollo 13 failure?! Today, ASML is Wilton’s top taxpayer, by almost double, and has over 3,000 employees. The future looks bright for ASML in Wilton as it continues to grow.

Their presence, together with our robust grand list assessment, are two major reasons why Wilton’s taxes will be less than previously predicted when the Town Budget is presented to the voters on May 6, at the Annual Town meeting.

Wilton’s Niche National Ranking

Niche, the online data company whose platform ranks America’s best schools and communities, further proved our desirability when they gave Wilton an A+ rating and awarded our Town a ‘Best Places Seal’ for 2025, noting our excellent schools and family living environment. Wilton High School was listed in the top five of public high schools in Connecticut, and Wilton overall rated in the top ten Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in the state.

Annual Town Meeting

Of course, such achievements require investment by the residents of our Town. In just a few short weeks, the voters of Wilton will determine what level of services will be provided for its residents during the next fiscal year. Unlike some municipalities, Wilton has a “town meeting” form of government where, instead of a town council determining the budget, residents who are eligible to vote cast the final decision. We encourage you to exercise your authority on May 6th, at 7pm, at the Clune Center.

Negotiations during this budget cycle were often challenging, with some issues causing protracted debate. We were fortunate that as animated discussions progressed, two sources of good news helped mitigate an unanticipated spike in costs. The first was that our grand list was assessed at $75 million more than last year. The second was that our $1.2 million reimbursement from the State of Connecticut for the Miller Driscoll School construction, a project that was completed in 2017, had finally been deposited into the Town’s account. After lengthy consultation with our Bond Counsel, it was determined that this money could pay off bond debt, which created an opportunity for new building projects to be considered for bonding.

Like any good thriller, there was also bad news followed by better news. A surprise increase in health insurance fees for municipal employees was announced that nearly doubled costs to the Town, from 7% to 13%. And then, right after the Board of Selectmen passed their budget, this rate was dropped to 10.9%, giving our budget slightly more breathing room.

All of this is to say, that after these exercised few months, we are so pleased to present the budgets that will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting on May 6th: The Board of Education FY26 Budget of $96,968,335, which is a 4.0% increase over last year; and the Board of Selectmen FY26 Budget of $37,130,471, which is a 3.65% increase over FY25.

The Board of Finance reached consensus on a proposed mill rate of 24.4, resulting in only a 1.93% increase for the residents’ taxes this year

In the end, everyone came together to produce a budget that, under extreme constraints, supports the quality of our schools (and protects our stellar state ranking), grants the library’s requested 3% budget increase, and funds hiring two additional firemen to a department that has not seen staff numbers grow for over 20 years. Some have questioned why we need to expand the force this year when its current size has served the Town for so long. The answer lies in all of the construction in town center and along Route 7 that has exploded since the pandemic. And this growth is mirrored by the rise in private sector hiring. While some may view Wilton’s development positively, it does place pressure on Town services that can become dangerous if Town employees aren’t given the tools they need to meet the new demands. Emergency services must keep pace with the shifting landscape of multi-story buildings (up to 5), highly combustible construction materials, new electronics and chemicals, sophisticated manufacturing facilities, increasingly congested roads, and a rise in emergency calls that is greater than at any other time in Wilton’s history. Addressing this vulnerability, before a major event happens, is critical to this administration which views public safety as the top priority.

Bond List

Last year, the Town began to address the essential, and long delayed, school and town building repair and maintenance needs, with a 15-year building improvement plan. Much of the infrastructure and equipment that must be replaced has reached its end of life, with spare parts no longer available. This includes equipment our schools and Town departments require in order to function. It’s these items that comprise this year’s bond list, which has been approved by the Board of Selectmen. It stands to reason that when repairs are delayed, the costs for addressing the problems becomes more expensive. But with debt service maturing off Wilton’s books (meaning debts and their interests have been fully paid) there should be no net increase to what Wilton currently pays in annual debt service fees. The following items will be under consideration by voters at the May 6th Annual Town Meeting:

• 7 Miles of Road Restoration: $700,000
• DPW Large Truck/Plow/Sander for Snow Removal: $330,000
• High School Library Roof Replacement: $2,000,000
• Cider Mill School Chilled Water Unit Replacement and Equipment and Piping: $1,547,678
• Middlebrook School Replacement of Floor and Ceiling Tiles and Lighting: $1,646,314 (Please Note: This project will be split between two fiscal years. $667,236 will pay for work done in FY26, and $979,078 will pay for the remainder in FY27.)
• Schools Drainage, Sidewalks and Paving: $725,000
• Middlebrook Exhaust Fan Replacement: $373,000
• Middlebrook School Gym HVAC: $250,000
• Turf Replacement at Fujitani Field: $700,000
• Restoration of the Historic Raymond Ambler House at Ambler Farm: $1,286,618

Town leaders are seeking support to finish construction of the Raymond Ambler House so that indoor event spaces can be created to accommodate new programing. This is a long-delayed project that dates back to 1999 when the Town bought Ambler Farm from the estate’s Trustees.

The original purchase was made possible after an enthusiastic vote by the people of Wilton, who shared a sense of importance in preserving the Farm’s open-air space, its history as a touchstone to Connecticut’s agrarian past and educational programming.

But Ambler Farm’s uniqueness, as one of the only colonial-era farms with nearly all of its original buildings intact, also presented the Town with its greatest challenges. Farming and animal care are hugely labor intensive. Antique structures require almost constant maintenance. Town leaders could have considered expanding the Parks and Rec Department (and ballooning the Town budget) so that they could oversee the farm, like they do with Merwin Meadows and the Comstock Center.

Instead, a Town Steering Committee was created to address this question, from which The Friends of Ambler Farm evolved in 2005. This group of dedicated, engaged citizens formed a non-profit mandated to run the farm’s daily operations, care for its crops and animals, and design and administer all aspects of its programs.

The Friends have been enormously successful raising money for the Farm through grants and donor gifts, and through income from its programs. As a non-profit, all of this money goes back into the Farm to pay for the upkeep of its grounds, the care of its animals, plus everything needed to grow and harvest the crops on its 18 acres. The money the Friends earn pays for administrative fees, like staff salaries and benefits. Most significantly, this money underwrites all of the programming that takes place year-round. Ambler Farm pays 85% of the costs of running the farm. If they did not exist, the Town would have to assume all of this responsibility.

As reflected in the original deed, the Town has an obligation to maintain, repair and renovate the Raymond Ambler House so that it stays in usable condition for the specific purposes of “garden plots, pastures, husbanded rural landscaping, rural arts, crafts, environmental education, historic education, or museum or quasi-museum purposes and administrative offices.”

In fact, the Raymond Ambler House has been unusable for decades, putting the Town out of compliance with the agreement they made in 1999. Remedying this will also allow indoor programming space to be created, which is desperately needed since the Farm’s outdoors-only-offerings are limited by the seasons and the weather. With over 25,000 visitors last year, demand for the Farm’s classes, camps, holiday events and concerts far exceed its capacity. This underscores how beloved the Farm is as favorite destination for Wiltonians. It is also important to ASML, who feature the Farm in their international publications as a major highlight of their employees’ volunteer work. In addition, ASML donated over $300,000 in scholarship funding so that students from around the region could also benefit from learning at the Farm.

We are now at a point where the Farm, an extremely valuable Town amenity, needs reinvestment by the Town in order to preserve the Raymond Ambler house and the Farm’s ability to continue to meet public demand. One drawback that is sometimes expressed about Wilton is the lack of amenities the Town offers, especially compared to our neighbors who entice buyers with town-owned beaches and golf courses. Features like these, just like skating rinks, swimming pools, or any source of publicly owned recreation, come with an open-ended commitment on behalf of the Town to maintain them. Ambler Farm is a place where we can all reconnect with nature, with our history and with each other. The Raymond Ambler House restoration project will strengthen this tradition and allow it to grow, benefiting Wilton for generations to come.

Welcome Kelsey Locher

Kelsey Locher joined the Wilton Senior Center team last month as the Senior Programs & Social Services Coordinator. Kelsey is a born and raised Wiltonian and has years of experience in public service programing, most recently as the Director of the After School Programming at Wilton’s Park and Recreation Department. She received her Bachelors in Communications from Central Connecticut State University in 2022. Kelsey has a wide range of interests that she hopes she can share with the senior community. She is beyond excited to join the Senior Center, as she loves to meet new people, learn new things, and lend a helping hand.

A Better Chance Visits Town Hall

I recently spent a few afternoons with some exceptional young ladies who are Scholars with Wilton’s A Better Chance residency program, as part of their Career Exploration project. A Better Chance is a national organization that hosts secondary students from underserved communities in more privileged areas where they can attend top private and public high schools. A local chapter was founded in Wilton in 1996. At least 53 of its alumni have gone on to four-year colleges and graduate schools, but they have left an indelible mark on our town, sharing their talents, perspectives and dedication to achievement while they were here. It has been such an honor and a delight to hear these students’ stories and share with them my experiences in business, public service and family life. Over hot chocolate and cookies, we discussed what a rewarding journey it is to be a woman building a life and a career in today’s complex world. I look forward to all the great things this crew will do with their futures.

N.B. A Better Chance is one of Wilton’s most important service organizations. If you are interested in donating your time or resources, or becoming a host family, please reach out to them: Volunteer - ABC Wilton

2025 Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program

Applications are open for this year’s NAA Tax Credit Program, sponsored by the Department of Revenue Services. The NAA is designed so that a corporation business tax credit can be given to businesses that make cash contributions to municipal and tax-exempt organizations. The following link explains the program in detail and includes the 2025 application: Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program The deadline is May 22, 2025, when all materials should be emailed to Hadley.boyd@wiltonct.gov. Projects will be reviewed by the Board of Selectmen at their June 2, 2025 meeting. Chosen submissions will be sent to the State’s Department of Revenue Services on July 1, 2025.

Businesses wishing to request a tax credit under the CT NAA Tax Credit Program must complete a separate Form NAA-02 for each program it wishes to sponsor. These forms will become available on September 15 on the DRS website: Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program. They will be accepted by electronic submission only to CT DRS until October 1, 2025. Questions can be emailed to NAAProgram@ct.gov, or contact (860) 297-5687 for more information.

Wilton Police Recognition

Along with our great Fire Department and widely honored CERT teams, the Wilton Police Department was recently awarded a Connecticut State Tier III Accreditation Status by the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council. This is the highest level achievable in Connecticut for police agencies.

The Wilton Police Department was determined to be compliant with over 300 accreditation standards and were duly recognized for their dedication to outstanding professionalism. Thank you to all of Wilton’s finest. We are so lucky to have you!

Pictured left to right: Lieutenant Steven Rangel, Chief Thomas Conlan, Officer Sean Baranowski, POST Council Chairman Chief Mello

Happy Easter and Pesach Sameach to All Who Celebrate

It was a special day at the office when Italian Anisette Easter cookies and special, homemade Matzah from Israel for Passover were delivered to Town Hall. We love it when staff and Wilton friends just drop in to brighten our day. We hope everyone draws a sense of renewal and resilience from this holiday season.

Toni Boucher

First Selectman

Town of Wilton

This press release was produced by the Town of Wilton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.