Chester Voters To Correct $19.3 Million Town Budget Total, Consider Three Ordinance Changes

CHESTER, CT — Chester voters will be asked Oct. 13 to formally correct the stated total of the town's fiscal 2026-27 budget and decide three proposed ordinance changes involving Fire Marshal permits and fees and small tax-payment discrepancies.

The in-person Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Chester Meeting House, 4 Liberty Street. Qualified town meeting voters may participate. …

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The first item asks voters to ratify the approved fiscal 2026-27 town budget at $19,311,304. According to the meeting notice, a scrivener's error in the legal notice and previous Town Meeting minutes listed the total as $19,211,304 — $100,000 less than the approved amount.

The town says the accompanying published financial spreadsheets contained the correct $19,311,304 figure and that the mill rate was based on that amount.

Permit Ordinance Amendment

Voters will also consider amending Chester's Permit Ordinance to add Fire Marshal permits to the permits that town officials may not issue for improvements or activities on property with unpaid property taxes.

The existing language listed in the notice covers zoning permits, building permits, certificates of occupancy and sanitary sewer permits. The amendment would add "Fire Marshal Permit" to that list.

Two other proposed ordinances will come before voters.

One would establish fees for the Office of the Fire Marshal. The other concerns excess tax payments and tax underpayments of less than $5.

The meeting was called by First Selectman Cynthia R. Lignar and Selectmen Patricia Bandzes and Paul Radicchi.