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Seymour budget hearing draws resident questions about repeated "director" lines in proposed 2026–27 budget
Summary
At the Board of Finance’s first public hearing March 4, 2026, resident Keogh asked why many budget lines are labeled “director,” pressing whether they represent paid positions or placeholder lines. Board members said budget copies are available online and at town offices; a second hearing will follow.
The Town of Seymour Board of Finance held the first of two public hearings on the proposed 2026–27 town budget on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Seymour Town Hall. Richard Demko opened the session and read the official notice that residents qualified to vote in town meetings could ask questions about the proposed budget.
Resident Keogh asked a central procedural question: “It says director on everything. And if you look on the town, there's no director. Like, what is the director for all this?” Keogh pressed whether the label denoted a paid position or a generic head-of-department function and asked for examples tied to town roles.
Keogh explained that some budget lines remain labeled “director” even when the town does not list an individual in that title, saying the lines are often left in place so auditors are not prompted to question sudden line removals. He listed roles and department heads in attendance or referenced in the hearing, including the tax collector Dana Clark, the tax assessor Kevin (last name not specified), emergency management staff, fire department leaders, police chief John Bugarotti, deputy chief Mike Papiano, and library director Susan Garvey. “We keep the lines in there because we take a line out, we're gonna get questioned by the auditor,” Keogh said.
Demko reviewed housekeeping rules for the hearing — public remarks should state name and address for the record and are limited to about two minutes — and told residents that copies of the proposed budget, including all department requests, would be available by Feb. 27 on the town website (www.seymourct.org) and for public inspection at the Seymour Community Center, the Seymour Public Library, and the town clerk's office.
Demko closed the hearing after the question-and-answer period, thanking department heads for making themselves available. “With that, this public hearing is closed,” he said, and reminded the public that the board will hold another hearing after it has heard the Board of Education and other departments.
The hearing produced no formal votes or motions. The board left open the opportunity for additional public questions at the next scheduled hearing as deliberations continue.
