Simsbury Board of Finance opens public hearing on FY2026–27 budget; agrees to move $200,000 to CIP for ambulance

The Simsbury Board of Finance on April 7 opened a public hearing on the town’s proposed FY2026–2027 operating and capital budgets and reviewed budget submissions from the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen.

Board of Finance Chair Lisa Heavner said the board’s presentation projects a 2.63% increase in the estimated mill rate (which includes a proposed increase in the Fire District mill rate), reflected a 0.90% grand list growth projection for FY27, and noted declining non-tax revenue such as investment income. Heavner told the meeting the budget plan would use the town’s OPEB trust to pay retiree benefits and flagged risks including uncertain federal funding, inflation and utility costs.

Jeff Tindall, chair of the Board of Education, presented the school budget, which he described as a 2.79% increase overall. Tindall said the starting point for schools was a 3.85% increase (about $3.4 million), with subsequent reductions of 1.3% and modest additions totaling 0.24% that yielded the 2.79% net increase. He outlined staffing and program additions including a Latimer Lane special education teacher, partial speech-language support, summer planning funds for pupil services, additional strings positions at Squadron and Tariffville, nursing hours at HJMS, a high-school counseling reclassification, and added health aide hours.

First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis presented the Board of Selectmen’s budget message and described a 3.39% increase in town expenditures. Mackstutis highlighted revenue pressures — limited grand-list growth and a decrease in investment income — and noted budget priorities including support for the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association (SVAA), a new in-house economic development resource and a zero-based budgeting pilot at the public library. She also described Board of Finance guidance that limits bonding to $5 million a year or $10 million every two years, a constraint that leaves many projects in years two through six of the CIP unfunded.

During the public comment period, resident Joan Coe urged steep cuts, telling the board that “government should run like a business” and advocating a 10% reduction across operating and capital budgets. Chris Kelly, speaking for the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association, described procurement of a new ambulance and the funding shortfall: "the cost is $253,000 and SVAA has raised approximately $50,000," he said, and explained that transport-reimbursement rates (including low Medicaid reimbursement) do not cover the full cost of service.

Several other residents raised questions about state and federal funding impacts, library staffing and program cuts, services for gifted students, and support for the Neighborhood Paths and Connecting Trails project. Superintendent Matt Curtis said the district must set criteria for gifted-and-talented identification but that Simsbury currently does not run an identified G/T program; he told the board there are no immediate state- or federal-funding impacts to district operations at this time.

After public comment, the board voted unanimously to extend the public hearing to April 21, 2026. In subsequent budget discussion, members asked staff for updated investment-return assumptions, an update on health-insurance claims at the next meeting, and draft operating-budget motions and line-item detail one week before the next meeting. The board also requested an advisory opinion and meeting with the Town Attorney about the general fund traditional payback program; that motion passed unanimously.

Board members discussed funding for the new ambulance and whether it should be placed in the CIP because the vehicle will be town-owned. Town Manager Marc Nelson said he is working with the Town Attorney on lease and purchase details. By consensus, the Board agreed to transfer $200,000 from the operating budget to the CIP, to be funded from capital reserves, to support the ambulance purchase. Meeting discussion noted SVAA has raised about $50,000 in donations for the vehicle and that additional donations would reduce the town’s net contribution. Mackstutis clarified that of a previously discussed $160,000 in operating support for SVAA, $100,000 would come from capital reserves and $60,000 from opioid funds.

Finance Director Amy Meriwether summarized external financial materials, including a Fiducient Advisors market review and the town’s Moody’s Aaa credit profile; Meriwether said Simsbury’s credit metrics compare favorably with other Aaa-rated communities, and that the Aaa rating benefits borrowing costs despite a lower available-fund-balance ratio on a national comparison.

The board approved the March 10, 2026 meeting minutes and adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

What happens next: the public hearing remains open through April 21, 2026, and the Board asked staff to return with requested line-item detail, updated investment assumptions, and an update on health-insurance claims.