Board of Finance advances FY2027 budget to RTM after March 31 vote
Fairfield’s Board of Finance voted on March 31, 2026 to advance a recommended FY2027 budget to the Representative Town Meeting, completing its formal review and establishing the spending framework for final legislative action.
The vote followed a month-long hearing schedule, including meetings on March 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 24, and 26, a public comment session on March 28, and board deliberations on March 30, according to the town’s published calendar.
Budget framework
The recommended budget originates from the First Selectman’s proposed approximately $403 million spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Local reporting described that proposal as a 4.97% increase in total spending and a 4.28% increase in the gross tax levy.
The Board of Finance recommended a modified version of that proposal, making adjustments within its authority prior to forwarding the budget to the RTM.
Changes to the proposal
The most significant adjustments involved education funding. The First Selectman’s proposal included an approximately $1.5 million reduction to the Board of Education’s requested increase. The Board of Finance further reduced the Board of Education appropriation during its review.
The Board of Finance also made additional targeted changes to municipal spending accounts, though detailed line-item adjustments were not fully documented in publicly available summaries at the time of publication.
The Board of Finance did not publish a detailed line-item summary of changes from the First Selectman’s proposal as part of its March 31 action.
Tax rate assumptions
As part of its March 31 action, the Board of Finance established the tax rate assumptions associated with the recommended budget. The final mill rate will be set on May 7, 2026, following Representative Town Meeting action.
Consequence and next steps
The consequence of the March 31 vote is procedural and determinative. The Board of Finance recommendation establishes the maximum level of appropriations that may be considered by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Under Fairfield’s charter, the RTM may reduce or reject budget items, but it may not increase appropriations above the Board of Finance recommendation.
The budget will now move to the RTM, which is scheduled to hold budget hearings in April 2026 and vote on the proposal on May 4, 2026.
The March 31 decision completes the town’s financial review phase and defines the limits within which final legislative decisions will occur.
Disclosure on detail
A complete line-by-line comparison between the First Selectman’s proposal and the Board of Finance–recommended budget—including a full “budget delta table” identifying specific departmental reductions—was not available in public materials at the time of publication.
Sources: Town of Fairfield; local reporting.
