Somers Budget Vote Results Are In

SOMERS, CT — Somers voters rejected the town budget again Tuesday, defeating the latest proposal by 151 votes and sending officials back to work on another version of the spending plan.

The unofficial vote total was 625 in favor and 776 opposed, according to results posted by the town. The results were for Budget Referendum #4, held June 30.

The next step is expected to involve additional budget reductions before another possible vote. Before the June 30 referendum, town officials had said a follow-up vote could be held July 14 if another referendum was needed, CT Insider reported.

The town had not immediately posted a new referendum date on its homepage Wednesday morning.

The latest rejection followed a June 16 vote in which the budget failed by 123 votes, with 709 residents voting in favor and 832 voting against it. The budget also failed May 19 by 26 votes, with 392 residents voting in favor and 418 opposed.

The town’s budget history summary shows the proposal has already been reduced during the referendum process.

The originally adopted budgets totaled $42,976,089 and carried a proposed mill rate of 24.13. After proposed cuts for the June 2 referendum, the budget was reduced to $42,737,246, with a proposed mill rate of 23.95.

Additional reductions were then made for the June 16 referendum, bringing the proposed budget to $41,990,005, with a proposed mill rate of 23.36.

Those reductions included $272,731 in town government cuts and $474,510 in Board of Education cuts, according to the town summary.

The town government reductions included cuts tied to positions, staffing, benefits, salary increases, materials and government group grants. The Board of Education reductions included cuts tied to positions and salaries, benefits, professional services, property services, other purchased services, supplies and property.

Compared with the adopted FY2026 budget, the June 16 proposal represented an overall increase of $173,885, or 0.42 percent, according to the town summary.

The Board of Finance previously said the fiscal year 2027 budget process was shaped by reduced state aid, federal budget cuts, lower estimated interest earnings and a state-mandated veterans exemption that reduced collectible taxes.

The board’s analysis listed $615,000 in projected revenue reductions before current budget requests were considered. That included a $165,000 cut in state aid, a $200,000 reduction in estimated interest earnings and a $250,000 reduction in collectible taxes tied to the veterans exemption.

Officials also said “excess revenues” used last year to help limit tax increases are no longer available.

At the same time, the town said it had to account for an 11 percent increase in health insurance costs, a 16 percent increase in energy costs and 3 percent to 4 percent labor contract increases.

The Board of Selectmen has also set a 23.46 mill rate while the town continues through the budget process, according to CT Insider. A legal opinion linked on the town website says there is no temporary or interim mill rate in state statutes.

Further details on the next budget proposal were not immediately available Wednesday morning.

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