Somers Budget Rejected By 26 Votes

SOMERS, CT — A proposed Somers budget was rejected by voters Tuesday in a close referendum, after town officials warned that revenue drops and rising costs were putting pressure on the spending plan.

The budget failed by 26 votes, according to results shared Tuesday night by David McCaffrey, the town’s director of elections and registrar of voters.

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The unofficial vote total was 392 in favor and 418 opposed, according to the results.

The Board of Finance, in a budget analysis for fiscal year 2027, said the town was facing several major financial pressures heading into the budget vote. The board pointed to reduced state aid, federal budget cuts, lower interest earnings and a state-mandated veterans exemption that reduced collectible taxes.

The analysis listed $615,000 in projected revenue reductions before current budget requests were considered. That included a $165,000 cut in state aid, a $200,000 reduction in estimated interest earnings and a $250,000 reduction in collectible taxes tied to the veterans exemption.

Town officials also said “excess revenues” used last year to help limit tax increases are no longer available.

At the same time, Somers officials said the town had to account for an 11 percent increase in health insurance costs, a 16 percent increase in energy costs and 3 percent to 4 percent labor contract increases.

The Board of Education proposed a 2.68 percent increase, or $816,059, while the Board of Selectmen requested a 3.70 percent increase, or $343,910, according to the analysis. The total increase was listed at $1,159,969.

The proposed mill rate increase was 2.13 mills, according to the Board of Finance.

The Board of Finance said the plan was intended to maintain services and staffing levels while dealing with tighter revenues and higher costs. The board also warned before the vote that, if the referendum failed, more aggressive cuts could be proposed.

The outcome means town officials will have to revisit the budget plan before sending it back to voters.

Further details on the next steps were not immediately available Tuesday night.

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