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Board approves contingency funds and awaits state action on Torrington Middle School roof referendum
Summary
The Torrington Board of Finance approved up to $16,290 from the contingency fund to cover costs tied to the March 24, 2026 referendum on the Torrington Middle/Intermediate School roof. Officials said the town submitted required state paperwork and is awaiting the state's response; members also debated low turnout.
The Torrington Board of Finance on April 21 approved a request to expend up to $16,290 from the contingency fund to cover expenses associated with the March 24, 2026 referendum on the Torrington Middle (also referred to during the meeting as Torrington Intermediate) School roof repair project. The request, offered by the deputy comptroller, passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Board members heard an update from the presenter, who said the town submitted the state filing known as a 1049R along with an updated project budget to the State of Connecticut and is awaiting the state's reply. “We gave that information to the state of Connecticut and we also gave them the updated budget that we would need and the 1049R … and so we're just waiting right now for their reply and that's where we are,” the presenter said.
Officials said the work will proceed in phases and will not be completed in full this summer, although construction is expected to begin this summer. The presenter said the state had responded quickly in prior similar matters after the town filed the 1049R and certificate.
Several board members expressed frustration at low turnout for the referendum and discussed possible charter changes to require a higher voter threshold for referenda held outside November general elections. The mayor noted that the city council recently approved forming a charter revision commission; the mayor and other members said they are seeking two additional registered Democrats to serve on that commission. One board member initially misspoke about the number of votes and said “3,800”; the mayor and another member corrected that the referendum drew 382 votes.
The board also approved, without recorded abstention on this item, the formal motion to expend contingency funds to cover referendum-related legal and administrative costs. The agenda materials list the contingency amount as “not to exceed $16,290.”
What happens next: town staff will continue to await the state's response to the 1049R filing and proceed with procurement steps when authorized; the board also signaled interest in examining charter language governing referenda timing and turnout requirements.
