Ellington Votes On Budget For 3rd Time

ELLINGTON, CT — Ellington voters are heading back to the polls Tuesday for the town’s third budget referendum after two previous spending plans were rejected.

Voting is scheduled from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ellington Senior Center, 40 Maple St., according to the town. Residents are reminded to bring any required identification when voting.

The latest proposal follows a June 11 special meeting of the Board of Finance, where members reviewed further revisions to the proposed 2026-27 budget. The board approved additional reductions totaling $522,644, according to the town’s budget page. If adopted, the proposed budget would carry an anticipated mill rate of 25.42.

The budget grand total is $75,724,155, including $49,199,508 for the Board of Education, $24,704,357 for general government and $1,820,290 in capital outlay.

The vote comes after the second referendum failed June 9 by 48 votes, with 1,073 residents voting no and 1,025 voting yes. The first referendum also failed May 26, with 1,049 voting no and 891 voting yes, according to the town.

If the third referendum fails, the town has said its charter directs that the current fiscal year’s budget become the temporary budget. The Board of Finance would then set a temporary mill rate so tax bills can be mailed, with adjustments required once a new budget is adopted.

Additional referendum information is available through the Town Clerk’s office and on the town’s website. The list of budget revisions is available here.