Middletown begins review of FY2025-26 budget as schools, public safety and public works request major resources

The Town of Middletown council received the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and began a full-day review May 10, focusing on major requests from the school district, public safety, public works and municipal departments.

Town Administrator Sean Brown presented the combined draft and the council voted to receive it and begin the formal review process. The preliminary total would raise overall municipal spending and includes a 4% request by the school department; Brown and department heads said the final tax rate and sewer rate remain to be set.

Nut graf: The hearing brought into sharp relief competing priorities for the town: the school superintendent said demographic and state-aid shifts require staff and program changes; police and fire leaders outlined sizable capital and equipment purchases, some paid from a dedicated rescue-wagon fund; public works asked to replace an aging fleet in a multiyear push; and library and community-outreach leaders warned grant funding that supports services may not continue. Councilors and staff underscored the need to balance one-time capital, ongoing operating needs and limited new revenues.

School budget and staffing: Superintendent William (Billy) Niemeyer said the district faces a projected shortfall after the state revenue estimate declined and that enrollment patterns allow some consolidation. The district’s proposal reduces roughly 9.8 full-time equivalent positions overall but repurposes three positions to add a school social worker, extra multilingual-learner (MLL) support and additional special-education administrative help. Niemeyer said those choices aim to protect core programs while addressing increased student needs in mental health and English learner services. He said the district has already begun implementing a curriculum and staffing plan to increase early intervention and MLL supports and that he expects measurable changes over a multi-year period.

Public safety: Police and fire…