Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coventry council adopts final fiscal 2026–27 budget after public pushback on costs
Summary
The Coventry Town Council approved resolution 2026-54 adopting the final fiscal 2026–27 budget with a proposed levy increase of 3.28%; council members and residents debated staffing, rising health-care costs and the distinction between levy and tax rate before a 6–0 roll-call approval.
The Coventry Town Council on Monday adopted the town’s final budget for fiscal 2026–27, approving resolution 2026-54 after extended public comment and council discussion.
Resident Britney Boyer urged councilors to seek reductions and tightened spending, saying, "the first 600,000 plus of this budget came from the school side," and asking the council to identify where spending could be cut. Stacy Nichols echoed the call for long-term planning, warning that rising fuel and food costs are squeezing families.
Director Sovetti, the town’s finance director, laid out levy and rate estimates and stressed that a change in the levy does not translate directly to a universal tax-rate increase because the community is undergoing a property revaluation. Sovetti said the proposed levy change is 3.28% and showed examples where some taxpayers could see increases while others see decreases depending on revaluation outcomes: "All I can tell you is we are proposing to increase the levy by 3.28%." He told the council the residential rate was being estimated (approximately 12.95955 per $1,000 under current assumptions) but cautioned that final tax-rate impacts depend on the revaluation and state approvals.
Council members discussed personnel and program choices that drove the budget. The council agreed to add two police officers, an assistant for the manager’s office and several part-time positions for the annex; nonunion raises range from 0% to 4% based on performance evaluations, while union contractual increases remain separate. Council member Hoole defended the package as necessary for long-term infrastructure and public-safety needs, saying the town must invest to avoid higher costs later.
Councilwoman Iannotti sought an amendment requiring the council to revisit the budget if the final levy exceeded the upper bound in the resolution; town staff responded that the resolution’s range is binding and that legal limits would prevent exceeding the approved maximum.
After discussion, Council member Hoole moved to adopt resolution 2026-54; the motion was seconded and the council held a roll-call vote. The clerk recorded six affirmative votes and no negatives; the motion passed. The council and staff said they will provide additional public information about the revaluation process and a schedule for hearings where property owners may appeal assessments.
The council’s approval completes the formal budget adoption step; officials noted that details tied to the state Department of Municipal Finance and the ongoing revaluation process will be posted and made available to residents.
