Government

Town Council Approves Fiscal Year 2024 Budget; 3.12% Increase over Current Spending

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New Canaan’s legislative body last week approved a budget of $166.6 million for fiscal year 2024, a 3.12% increase over current spending. The Town Council at its April 5 meeting voted 12-0 in favor of the budget, which takes effect July 1. 

Chair Steve Karl said in a town-issued press release that it’s been “a challenging year given the current backdrop of rising costs and inflationary pressure on most major budget categories.”

“The town faces many of the same challenges the private sector is experiencing, including the rising interest rates, cost of energy, healthcare, labor, and materials,” Karl said. “We managed to keep the increase raised by taxation flat over the past four years, but this year may bring a modest increase to our tax bills. On a positive note, our town departments and Board of Education have done a great job holding the line and controlling costs as much as possible without sacrificing the finished product our residents have come to expect.”

In addition to Karl, those voting in favor of the budget were Town Council Vice Chairs Mark Grzymski and Penny Young and members Robin Bates-Mason, Rita Bettino, Tom Butterworth, Luke Kaufman, Mike Mauro, Maria Naughton, Kimberly Norton, Hilary Ormond and Cristina A. Ross. The annual budget process is a months-long undertaking that starts in the fall and comes before the public at Board of Selectmen hearings in January before moving to the Board of Finance and, finally, the Town Council.

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Grand List Increases by $88 Million; Top-10 Taxpayer Accounts [CORRECTED]

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[CORRECTION: NewCanaanite.com wrongly calculated the Grand List year-over-year increase prior to the Feb. 1, 2023 newsletter going out. I apologize for the mistake. A standalone correction can be found here.]

The total value of taxable property in New Canaan—including homes, commercial properties and motor vehicles—increased by about $88 million from 2021 to 2022, according to preliminary figures. 

Given the last budget cycle’s mill rate of 18.372, the year-over-year increase in funds for the town from the taxable property would come to about $1.6 million—though the Grand List won’t be finalized until after the Board of Assessment Appeals process. The Grand List’s $8 billion total reflects upticks in the total value of taxable real estate and personal property and motor vehicles.

Board of Education

School Security: Board of Ed Seeks To Add 10th ‘Campus Monitor’

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Saying it will make New Canaan Public Schools even safer, the Board of Education is seeking to hire an additional “campus monitor” for next academic year. Currently, the district has nine campus monitors at the public schools—one at each elementary school and three each at Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School. The tenth monitor would allow the “lead campus monitor,” who works in a supervisory capacity, to “go around, check protocols, check buildings, do training with staff, work more closely with the principals,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi told the Board of Selectmen during a budget meeting, held Jan. 26 at Town Hall and via videoconference. The lead monitor would “be involved on a district level,” Luizzi said.

Andrew Brooks

Board of Finance Chair: Budget Planning Amid Economic Headwinds

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The purpose of this letter is to update you on the plan for the 2023/24 budget, and our overall financial picture. In summary, our town is in great financial shape, but there are economic uncertainties and challenges that we will need to work through this year. Let me share some highlights. On February 7th, the New Canaan Board of Finance will begin analyzing the Town’s budget for the fiscal year 2023/2024 that begins on July 1st. The town departments have been working on their needs and requests over the past few months.