Darien RTM Approves $173.4 Million Budget For 2024-2025

DARIEN, CT — On Monday night, the Darien Representative Town Meeting approved a $173.4 million 2024-2025 town budget and did not make any additional cuts.

The budget vote was held at Darien Town Hall and streamed on Darien TV79.

The spending plan represents a 4.8 percent increase over the current budget of $165.5 million. The mill rate, which is used to calculate local property taxes, will be 14.69 next year, down from the current figure of 17.61.

RTM Finance and Budget Chair Jack Davis said the overall tax increase, based upon what the town is funding through capital and operations, is 4.29 percent. The average homeowner will see a tax increase of 6 percent due to the increased value of real estate, Davis said.

The selectmen's operating budget is $53.6 million, and the education operating budget is $119.7 million, a 4.73 percent increase over the school district's current budget of $114.4 million.

"This year's budget process has been interesting," said RTM Education Committee Chair Ed Washecka. He pointed out that the education budget is about $2 million less than what the Board of Education approved and requested from the Board of Finance.

"The administration has provided suggestions as to how to live with that $2 million board of finance reduction, as well as deal with a current additional shortfall recently identified," Washecka said.

Darien Times reported that Superintendent of Darien Public Schools Dr. Alan Addley has proposed cutting teachers and staff, adding $200 athletic participation fees and raising the cost of school lunches.

"The BOE has further meetings planned, but so far most members of the public and the board of education have just said what they didn't like about the administration's plans," Washecka said. "We've not heard many people say what they would do instead to work within the budget level we are here to approve tonight."

No cuts were made to the education budget. The RTM could have approved the budget as it is, deleted funds, or flat out rejected it, which would have reverted the budget back to current spending levels.

You can watch the full RTM meeting from Monday on demand on Darien TV79.

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