RTM Approves Fairfield's $356.8 Million Spending Plan For 2023-24

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Representative Town Meeting on Monday approved a $356.8 million budget for the town in 2023-24, sending the spending plan to the Board of Finance to set the mill rate on Thursday.

Monday's RTM vote was unanimous, and the budget carries an increase of about $11.7 million over the current fiscal year's allocation.

In a message last week to residents, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said what her top priority was when crafting the budget.

"My administration made it a top priority to propose a town budget for the 2024 Fiscal Year that kept taxes low in the face of inflationary challenges and the rising costs of utilities," Kupchick wrote.

Among the budget highlights, the Board of Education will receive about $210.2 million for the next school year, nearly $8 million about this year's amount, and the public safety components will see an increase of about $1.5 million to $36.9 million.

Also, Public Works spending will increase by almost $900,000 to $15.5 million, and the allocation for health and welfare will be $9.3 million, a bump of nearly $800,000.

"This budget is responsive to the needs of residents and businesses, and is responsible to our taxpayers; it continues this administration’s efforts to reorganize the town’s workforce to improve processes and services to residents," Kupchick wrote in her message when she proposed the budget earlier this year. "Recruiting professional employees who are educated in their fields is critically important for our collective success. It’s also vital for us to stay on top of the projects and many pending infrastructure needs so Fairfield remains attractive for generations to come."

For more information on Fairfield's 2023-24 town budget, click here.