Fairfield First Selectperson Unveils FY27 Budget With 4.28% Gross Tax Levy Increase

FAIRFIELD, CT — First Selectperson Christine Vitale released her proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget last week, with proposed spending at $402.9 million, representing a 4.97 percent increase in expenses over the prior year. This budget accounts for a 4.28 percent increase in the gross tax levy for the Town of Fairfield after factoring in non-tax revenue, credits, and reserves.

"This budget protects the services our community relies upon, maintains our long-term investment in Fairfield’s infrastructure and advances the modernization of public safety and town operations," Vitale said in a statement. "Our town employees, public safety officers and teachers are among our most valuable assets and this budget continues to support our contractual obligations to our staff."

The Board of Selectpersons began budget hearings on Tuesday, in which presentations detail key priorities, including maintaining a strong public school system, which receives $243,944,528, or 60.53 percent of the total budget.

For 2026-27, Superintendent of Schools Michael Testani is proposing $246,924,831 to operate the school system, an increase of 5.96 percent above the current year's allocation.

Support for public safety includes funding for the Police Department’s new AXON contract and equipment upgrades for the Fire Department. The budget also provides for a new Geographic Information System Analyst to support land-use decisions and infrastructure projects. Strategic investments in community services include increased recreational opportunities for seniors and continued funding for outside agencies like Pequot Library and Operation Hope.

Vitale acknowledged the impact of the recent property revaluation, which has increased the Grand List from $13.9 billion to $22.1 billion. Residential properties saw a higher rate of increase, shifting a greater share of the tax burden to homeowners. If approved, the mill-rate is anticipated to decrease from .028 to .019.

"We understand that many residents are feeling the strain of rising costs," Vitale said. "Throughout the budget process we were very cognizant that both the revaluation and increases to the operating budget would affect the amount of taxes residents will be paying next year. Working to minimize the tax increase, we elected to use funding from prior year budget surpluses to help minimize the tax burden for our residents."

Significant reductions to capital outlay requests were made, alongside efforts to streamline town operations and enhance fiscal oversight. Contractual obligations for salaries, health insurance, and retirement benefits remain the largest budget drivers. Contract negotiations with four bargaining units are ongoing, with wage adjustments held in reserve.

The Representative Town Meeting is scheduled to vote on the budget on May 4, with the Board of Finance setting the mill rate on May 7.