With Voter Turnout For Budget Referendum Falling Far Below Threshold Required, Town Council Budget Passes

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — In answer to this question, 'Shall the Town Council-Recommended Budget of $65,859,026, which will require a mill rate of 28.91 mills, be adopted?' voter turnout decided the answer.

With a voter turnout of just 11 percent, the North Branford municipal 2026-2027 budget passes as recommended by the Town Council," according to Acting Town Manager Rory Burke.

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The total turnout was 1,073, or 11.2 percent.

What this means

Municipal charters, especially in Connecticut, require a minimum percentage of registered voters, usually falling between 10 and 15 percent, to participate in a budget referendum for the vote to be considered valid. If voter turnout falls below this threshold, the "No" votes effectively do not count.

In North Branford, the threshold is 15 percent.

So the $65,859,026 town '26-'27 budget is the spending plan.