Town manager proposes $150.2 million budget; recommends 31.16 mills, which would raise average Cheshire property tax about 12.7%

Town Manager Sean Kimball on March 11 presented a proposed $150.2 million operating budget for fiscal 2026 and recommended a tax rate of 31.16 mills, a move that would raise the average Cheshire property tax bill by roughly 12.7%, the manager said.

Kimball told the Town Council that the proposed budget reflects a number of revenue losses and rising costs that together create a substantial fiscal gap. “If you take all of those revenue factors … that sums up to $4,700,000 in lost revenue,” he said, describing reductions in state aid and one‑time federal and town funds. He added that, “that alone … represents a 1.16 mil increase in taxes or about a 4.2% tax increase before we even talk about expenditures.”

Major expenditure drivers cited in the presentation included the Board of Education’s recommended increase — a $6.2 million request that Kimball said included higher medical‑benefit costs and staffing…