Newtown Revises Proposed Budget Ahead Of Second Referendum

NEWTOWN, CT — Newtown officials have revised the proposed 2026-27 budget after voters rejected the first proposal during last month’s referendum.

The new proposal lowers the effective tax rate increase from 2.79 percent in the original Legislative Council budget to 1.96 percent in the revised version, according to budget documents.

The revised budget would total about $146.5 million, down from roughly $147.4 million in the first proposal.

Among the changes were reductions to road funding, technology spending, contingency funds, police spending and Board of Education funding, according to the updated proposal.

The revised budget also removed or reduced several proposed purchases and positions, including a facilities maintainer position, an assistant building official position, police vehicle funding and some public building capital projects.

The Board of Education budget increase was reduced from 4.60 percent in the original proposal to 4.16 percent in the revised version, according to the documents.

Voters will decide on the revised proposal during a budget referendum scheduled for May 19 at Newtown Middle School.