Cheshire Council Sets April 15 Budget Hearing as Mill Rate Projected at 32.40

Town Council · Meeting of March 24, 2026

Cheshire Town Council schedules April 15 public hearing as proposed FY2027 budget projects an 8.9 percent tax increase. The joint Town Council and Budget Committee meeting on March 24 approved Resolution 032-426-01 unanimously, setting a 6:30 p.m. hearing at Town Hall on April 15, 2026. The current proposed budget carries a mill rate of 32.40, up from 29.74, equating to roughly $534 more annually for the average household assessed at $297,000.

Public Works Director Dan and Engineering Director Merrick Kennett presented department budgets totaling increases of 4.06 percent and 1.9 percent respectively, with the largest drivers being a completed streetlight purchase contract saving $124,366, a $114,584 jump in solid waste costs as the town's recycling cost share rises from 50 percent to 75 percent, and rising methanol and paving costs at the water pollution control plant. Kennett proposed beginning a 10-year transition to fund the town's $2 million annual road paving program through the operating budget rather than bonding, potentially adding $200,000 in year one, noting that every $1 million borrowed for roads costs $400,000 in interest over 20 years.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 1,035 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of March 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.