Hamden Mayor Revises Proposed Budget For Fiscal Year 2026-27

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden Mayor Adam Sendroff announced Monday that he has revised his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27, using supplemental state aid to reduce the proposed mill rate from 54.43 to 53.94, a reduction of 0.49 of a mill.

Hamden is receiving nearly $3.8 million in supplemental aid in the state budget that was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont.

More than $2.2 million of that amount is supplemental education aid that will recur next fiscal year as part of the Educational Cost Sharing Grant, according to a news release from the mayor’s office. There is also a one-time municipal aid grant of $1.57 million.

Sendroff is recommending that the more than $2.2 million supplemental education aid is put toward tax relief.

“Increasing the non-tax revenue by this amount will reduce the mill rate by .49, nearly half a mill from the original budget proposal for FY 2026-2027,” according to the news release. “The proposed allocation of $2,558,394 in the Mayor’s proposed FY 2026-2027 budget to the Board of Education exceeds the amount of supplemental education aid, allowing us to use this revenue in the operating budget for a mill rate reduction.”

Sendroff thanked Hamden’s state delegation, Senate President Pro-Tempore Martin Looney, Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, and Lamont for their “efforts to increase municipal aid in this legislative session.”

“Hamden’s mill rate is very high, and any assistance to reduce the tax burden is appreciated,” Sendroff said.

For the $1.57 million in supplemental municipal aid, Sendroff is proposing to place it in the town’s undesignated fund balance.

“He feels strongly that it should not go into the operating budget because it is non-recurring revenue,” the news release states. “Adding this money to our fund balance will contribute to the stabilization of our fiscal condition and ultimately save taxpayers money when we look to borrow again for capital needs such as road paving.”