Greenwich RTM Approves FY26 Budget After Making 2 Reductions

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Representative Town Meeting on Monday night overwhelmingly approved a $516.4 million budget for fiscal year 2026, but not without making two reductions totaling $4.5 million first. The vote to pass the budget as amended was 196 in favor with six against and seven abstentions.

The budget represents an over 3 percent increase from the current year's spending plan. Going into Monday night's meeting, there was a projected mill rate of 12.041, an increase of 2.81 percent over fiscal year 2025. The Board of Estimate and Taxation will officially set the mill rate in the coming days.

The legislative body voted 154-49-5 to delete $500,000 that was earmarked for the West Brothers Brook drainage improvement work, and it voted 180-17-9 to delete $4 million for the Hamilton Avenue School HVAC replacement.

Both motions to reduce were put forward by the RTM's Budget Overview Committee, and they served, in part, as "a check to BET overreach," according to BOC Chair James Waters. The RTM can only make reductions - it cannot add to the proposed budget.

"BOC's amendments serve to use the limited tools of the RTM to impact the budget and act as a check on the BET. If the RTM supports these amendments and then supports the budget as amended, it will stand in defense of powers directed by the town charter. If the RTM rejects these amendments or votes down the budget once amended, it sacrifices our ability to shape the budget," Waters said.

On the West Brothers Brook drainage project, Waters said the $500,000 was "to be used to design a project on private property in Millbrook, the first in a series of projects over 15 years expected to cost the town $30-plus million to partially reduce drainage issues impacting some residents living in and near a FEMA flood zone."

Waters said BOC members felt the BET had accelerated prioritization of a "pet project" and crowded out "numerous, other higher priorities that impact thousands of residents for at least a decade."

On the Hamilton Avenue School HVAC project, Waters said BOC members noted the BET is not empowered by the town charter to make technology decisions for the school district.

"The BET-approved amount for this project is far less than the professional estimate produced by GPS, which means the BET has already delayed the project," Waters said. "This is unfortunate, as the temporary solution in place costs the town approximately $360,000 per year. The BET also inserted a condition in the funding requiring that GPS revise the ed. specs for the project to specify conventional HVAC and discard the existing geothermal system."

During his committee report, Waters noted that many BOC members in favor of the two motions noted the total dollar amount of $4.5 million, similar to the figure the BET cut from the Board of Education's operating budget last month.

Read also: $2.5 Million Budget Reduction Looms For Greenwich Board Of Education

Read also: Greenwich BET Budget Vote Sparks Anger With $4M Reduction To Schools

The move by the BET sparked outrage from the community. The school board is now in the process of coming up with savings.

In brief remarks Monday before the RTM, BET Chair Harry Fisher said his colleagues reduced the rate of growth in the school budget by $4 million, but it still grows at over 3 percent when benefits are included.

"I believe we are achieving success in leading the BOE to address structural changes in its business model that will have lasting impact in years to come without adverse impact on student achievement," Fisher said.

The approved town budget includes over $40 million in capital projects, including funding for the annual paving and highway maintenance programs, Shore Road sidewalk project, interior renovations to the Wallace Center, Julian Curtiss renovations, initial design for Riverside renovations, ADA compliance work, and dredging Greenwich Point channel, among other projects.

Two bonding resolutions were also overwhelmingly approved Monday night.