Town council sets maximum tentative millage at 1.281 and adopts tentative budget

The town council unanimously voted Thursday to set the maximum tentative millage rate for fiscal year 2025–26 at 1.281 and to approve the tentative budget. The votes came at the council's regular meeting immediately following a budget workshop.

Councilors said the adopted millage reflects a rollback from a prior higher rate discussed during budget sessions and emphasized outreach to help residents understand the change. "We have rolled the mill rate back 1.3349 to 1.281," the mayor said during the meeting. Council members then moved and seconded the motion to set the rate; a roll call showed the motion passed unanimously. The council also approved the tentative budget by a unanimous roll-call vote.

Council members and staff noted the budget-setting process was previewed at the preceding budget workshop and urged distribution of the council's slides and explanatory materials to residents so they can see how the rate change affects individual taxpayers. One councilor asked that the C-SPOT-run slides and an explanatory summary be included in the town's weekly mailing and posted online.

Town Treasurer Heather provided quarterly pension balances to the dais for informational purposes during the meeting; councilors referred questions about long-term pension investment strategy to a later discussion. The meeting record shows all council members were present except Council Member Altieri.

The votes were procedural approvals of the tentative numbers. The council did not adopt a final millage rate or final budget at Thursday's meeting; those actions will occur later in the statutorily required notice and hearing process leading to final adoption.

For reference, the council set the maximum tentative millage at 1.281 and approved the tentative budget unanimously; town staff committed to publishing the budget presentation materials for public review.