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Board of Finance urges flat FY27 spending as East Haddam schools begin budget planning
Summary
At the Dec. 10 meeting, the Board of Finance chair read a memo advising town departments and the school district to avoid new ongoing programs and prepare five‑year capital plans because state revenue and the grand list are projected to be flat; the district was asked to submit capital requests early in January.
The East Haddam Board of Finance signaled early budget constraints for Fiscal Year 2027 when its chair read a guidance memo into the Board of Education's Dec. 10 meeting record. The memo instructed departments, commissions and the Board of Education to avoid initiating new ongoing programs that would carry persistent operating costs and to submit five‑year capital plans.
The memo said the state is in the second year of its biennial budget, producing greater revenue certainty but no anticipated new revenue for the town, and described a stagnant grand list that limits tax revenue growth. It stated that the Board of Finance “is not prepared to consider any increase to next year's budget beyond this year's approved amount,” and urged municipal and school leaders to identify potential contract savings and to prioritize limited resources for core services.
Timing and submission requirements were spelled out: departments and boards were asked for preliminary five‑year capital budgets in early January, and operating and capital budget requests were to be entered into the town’s ClearGov system in late January. The memo also outlined that the Board of Finance plans department reviews January–April, a public hearing in April and a final budget to appear at town meeting before referendum.
School leaders present acknowledged the guidance and said they will bring budget options and clarifying financial detail to the upcoming business and planning meetings in January. The Board of Education’s business subcommittee meets Jan. 7–8 and a tri‑board (selectmen/board of finance/board of education) meeting was announced for Jan. 12, 2026.
Administrators said they had not been given a district directive to present a “flat” or a specific percentage reduction scenario when preparing initial budget drafts; they will return to the board with formats and options for review during the January planning process.
The memo, read publicly, is advisory and does not change current operating appropriations; it frames the fiscal context for administrators and elected officials as they develop FY27 budget requests.
