Board of Finance votes to draft letter raising concerns about Amity budget, teacher hires and bonding plans

Woodbridge’s Board of Finance voted Feb. 19 to draft a formal letter to the Amity regional school district expressing concerns about certain elements of the district’s FY27 budget and planned bonding.

The board’s action, taken by voice vote, directs the chair to draft a letter outlining the board’s concerns and to circulate it to members for consideration at the board’s March 4 meeting. Members emphasized that the vote was to authorize a draft for later approval, not to send a final letter immediately.

Why it matters: members said the district’s proposed scheduling changes at the middle school would add four full-time teaching positions, and that the district is also proposing large capital bonding that will return to the tax rolls later. Board members warned that counting expiring debt as a one-time reduction can make year-to-year spending changes appear smaller than underlying programmatic increases.

Board members framed the action as a way to put their fiscal concerns on record and to ensure Woodbridge voters are aware of the fiscal choices they will face at referendum. One member summarized the concern this way: adding recurring staff or bonding now could produce lower apparent increases in the short term but larger tax impacts later when debt service returns to the budget.

What the board discussed: the meeting included debate about whether the board had authority to send such a letter and whether the board should instead only make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen. Members concluded the chair could draft a letter for packet distribution and that the formal vote to approve any letter would come at a future meeting to avoid an ex parte or illegal meeting.

Next steps: the chair will prepare a draft to be included in the March 4 packet; the board will consider and vote on the final text before any correspondence is transmitted to Amity’s finance committee or the public.