Darien Board Of Finance Set To Review Town, School Budgets

DARIEN, CT — The annual budget process will take the next step on Tuesday when the town and school spending plans are presented to the Darien Board of Finance.

The town budget, which was approved by the Board of Selectmen last month, is $51,268,400, a 5.8 percent increase over the current year's budget of $48.4 million.

"This budget reflects the changing needs of the town as we experience growth due to redevelopment. There are several new full-time positions included in the budget, primarily in the area of public safety," First Selectman Monica McNally said in her recent newsletter to the community.

"We are also responding to increased utility costs and the return of some of our programs to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, we are benefitting from higher interest rates, which is increasing the Town’s investment income, and growth in the Grand List due to the redevelopments, which will help offset budget increases," McNally added.

The capital budget includes the replacement of older police and Department of Public Works vehicles, improvements to town parks and beaches, building upgrades for the fire department drill tower, and energy efficiency upgrades to town buildings, McNally said.

Also last month, the Darien Board of Education approved a $114.5 million budget for fiscal year 2024, which represents an increase of 3.5 percent over the current year's spending plan of $110.6 million.

Of note, the budget eliminates several full-time equivalent secretarial positions, reduces administrative time for an art coordinator position and slashes the robotics program.

After the budget presentations on Tuesday, the Board of Finance will hold a public budget hearing on March 14, with a snow date of March 21.

On April 6, the board will vote on the budgets and send them to the Representative Town Meeting, which will have the final vote on May 8.

Tuesday's Board of Finance meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m., from room 206 at Darien Town Hall. The meetings are broadcast via Darien TV79 on Channel 79 or on YouTube.