Simsbury Board of Finance Budget Hearing April 7, 2026

Board of Finance Budget Hearing April 7, 2026

Government is a service industry deriving their revenues through taxation and other revenue sources.

Government should be run as a business.

As the economy grows, there can be an expansion of services and when the economy contracts, the revenues are reduced.

Over the years the taxes have increased with the expansion of services.

There is a shift in the economy, reducing the value of Commercial Real Estate.

This leads to a lower revenue stream for the government.

Government has two choices

Reduce services or increase taxes.

Increasing taxes results in many unintended consequences.

Government can no longer compete in attracting businesses, shifting the burden to the residential community and businesses in Town.

Property values will plummet and the revenue stream is diminished.

The only alternative to lower taxes across the board is by contracting the delivery of services.

The Board of Finance should demand that all budgets be reduced by 10% giving notice that that Simsbury is fiscally responsible.

The Fire Department as a taxing authority should reduce their proposed budget by 10%.

Capital Improvements should be reduced, lowering the cost of debt.

The distribution of the funds collected should be used to serve the public for public safety and other services to benefit the taxpayers.

The growth of services has increased over the years to enhance private industry with abatements, exceptions, reductions in assessments and other enhancements.

The Town should not be the piggybank, giving hand-outs to politically connected businesses.

Many special interest groups within the Town have been asking the taxpayers to subsidize their “pay to play”.

This cannot continue.

When Government becomes a high taxing entity it has a ripple effect on the economy.

Rents go higher, businesses are shuttered, Real Estate values are greatly reduced, and growth is at a standstill.

The Town cannot continue a tax and spend mentality.

We can no longer depend on our elected politically motivated hacks to decrease the expenditures for the special interest pariah’s that suck money out of the budget to enhance their wants and needs.

The Board of Education has been hostage to the lobbyists at the State that have been writing legislation with unfunded and funded mandates in education that has placed an undue burden on the taxpayers.

The lobbyists have financially benefited from the increasing demands on Social Services with contracts that are not cost-controlled.

The Board of Education should reduce their budget by 10% which would start the process of downsizing the Social Services delivered to the students.

Capital Expenditures should also be reduced 10%.

The Board of Education should not be the “NANNY” for all students in our school programs at taxpayer expense.

I urge the Board of Finance to demand that all Departments in Town reduce their budgets by 10% this year and continue downsizing in future budgets.

The Fire Department should be required to submit a budget with 10% reeducations.

Simsbury can no longer continue a tax and spend mentality.

Cost containment is a necessity in a fiscally unsettled year.

The Board of Finance must demand fiscal responsibility.

Do not “Kick the Can Down the Road”.

I urge everyone to vote “NO” on all the budgets, as presented.