New Canaan committee reviews FY2026 general government budget highlights

The Town Council Finance and Government Committee met to review highlights of New Canaan’s proposed fiscal 2026 general government budget, including department-level increases and several one-time transfers and authorizations that the town expects to refine as the budget process continues.

Committee members heard that general government expenditures across departments are up about 2.75% overall and that several individual line items and staffing changes account for much of that increase. The presentation grouped the increases and decreases by department and identified both recurring and one‑time items that will affect the operating budget.

The nut graf: The discussion matters because it identifies the drivers that could affect property taxes and the town’s use of fund balances and bond premium to smooth next year’s levy. Key items included a proposed new central procurement and risk management position in finance, a cybersecurity initiative moving from capital into the operating budget, a planned merger of the tax assessor and collector positions that officials say will save roughly $80,000, and an operating transfer request for tax‑supported capital that is currently shown at $1.7 million but may be lowered as the board reviews offsets.

Major department items and staff changes

First Selectman’s office: The First Selectman’s department shows an 11.55% increase, primarily because the grant writer position was moved into that department from finance (identified in the presentation as Greg Riley, grant writer). The move also reflects a reallocation of an HR generalist position that had been split between HR and…