Don't Forget To Vote: Ridgefield Budget Referendum On The Ballot Tuesday

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Ridgefield residents will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on budgets for the town and the schools.

The proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget totals about $181.1 million, a 3.6 percent increase over the current year. If approved, the budget would set the mill rate at 28.36, a 3.52 percent increase, according to Board of Finance Chair Mike Rettger.

The proposed budget, along with capital resolutions, will be decided by referendum tomorrow, May 12, at Yanity Gym, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Relate: Ridgefield Voters Send $181.1M Budget To Referendum, Approve Capital Items At Town Meeting

Here's the text of the yes/no questions on the actual ballot:

"Shall the recommendation of the Board of Finance relative to the appropriation of $55,096,440 for Town expenditures (consisting of Town operating expenditures of $46,227,045 and debt service of $8,869,395 on both Town and education capital projects) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, be approved?"

"Shall the recommendation of the Board of Finance relative to the appropriation of $123,800,000 for Board of Education expenditures for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, be approved?"

"Shall the recommendation of the Board of Finance relative to the appropriation of $2,246,900 for the planning, design and construction of various Town road and ADA improvements for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $240,000 for the design and acquisition of a highway dump truck with plow, $241,600 for the design and acquisition of a John Deere loader, $500,000 for the planning, design and construction of tertiary roads, $235,000 for the planning, design and construction of sidewalk improvements, $350,800 for the planning, design and construction of Canterbury Lane headwall replacement, and $189,000 for the planning, design and construction of Laurel Hill drainage and paving; and authorizing the issuance of $1,756,400 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes (provided that the bonds shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received for such purposes, which are anticipated to be $235,000 for sidewalk improvements, $280,640 for Canterbury Lane headwall replacement and $189,000 for Laurel Hill assessment/reimbursement), be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $135,632 for the design and acquisition of a Parks And Recreation dump truck with plow, $125,350 for the design and acquisition of a leaf loader, $187,500 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of golf tee box renovations, $310,654 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of pickleball courts, $250,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Recreation Center playground replacement, $670,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Tiger Hollow 2 field replacement, and $103,295 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Barlow Pool renovations; and authorizing the issuance of $1,782,431 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes (provided that the bonds shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received for such purposes, which are anticipated to be $310,000 for pickleball courts), be approved?" which are anticipated to be $310,000 for pickleball courts), be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $362,069 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Recreation Center HVAC replacements, $457,729 for the design and acquisition of Fire Department SCBA bottles and air packs, $411,483 for the design and acquisition of an ambulance replacement, $200,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Town Hall air duct replacement, $225,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of high school student sidewalk entry replacement, $235,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of elementary school ADA playground upgrades, and $147,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Recycling Center floor replacement and paving; and authorizing the issuance of $2,038,281 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes (provided that the bonds shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received for such purposes, which are anticipated to be $147,000 for Recycling Center floor replacement and paving), be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $4,000,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Ridgebury Road drainage improvements and paving; and authorizing the issuance of $4,000,000 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes (provided that the bonds shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received for such purposes, which are anticipated to be $4,000,000), be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $135,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Fire Department decontamination showers, $125,000 for the planning, design and acquisition of a Public Safety Facilities Committee study, $287,050 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Police Department roof replacement at Headquarters and garage, $306,600 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Fire Department roof replacement at Headquarters, and $990,115 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Police Department communications relocation; and authorizing the issuance of $1,843,765 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes, be approved?"

"Shall the resolution appropriating $706,992 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of high school LED upgrades, $243,819 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Scotts Ridge Elementary School visual performing arts equipment/infrastructure, $318,000 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of Barlow Mountain Elementary School vertical unit ventilator replacement, $233,230 for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of high school direct expansion/heat pumps, $365,340 for the planning, design and acquisition of district wide network infrastructure upgrades/replacements, $234,000 for the planning, design and acquisition of district wide security server replacements, and $139,050 for the planning, design and acquisition of district wide LPR cameras/upgrade legacy cameras; and authorizing the issuance of $2,240,431 bonds of the Town to meet said appropriations and pending the issuance thereof the making of temporary borrowings for such purposes (provided that the bonds shall be reduced by the amount of any grants received, and reimbursements for such purposes, which are anticipated to be $321,505 for Eversource rebates for the high School LED upgrades), be approved?"