Proposed South Windsor Budget Points To Higher Taxes

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — South Windsor officials on Monday presented a proposed town budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year that would increase the mill rate to 38.09 if adopted as proposed.

Town Manager Michael Maniscalco told the Town Council that, based on the town’s example, the proposed rate would raise taxes on a home assessed at $300,000 from about $10,683 to about $11,427, an increase of roughly $744 per year.

Budget Proposal Presented To Council

The proposed overall budget totals nearly $170 million and includes about $43.8 million for town government operations.

During his presentation, Maniscalco said the proposed increase is being driven by several factors, including education costs, debt service, capital spending and the day-to-day cost of municipal operations.

“So everybody’s sitting here going, what does that mean to me? And that’s a really great question,” Maniscalco said before outlining the estimated impact on a typical homeowner.

Key Factors Behind The Increase

Maniscalco said town services remain labor-intensive and depend heavily on employees across departments.

“This is a people business,” he said.

He also said the town’s grand list increased by 1.35 percent, generating about $551,529 in additional revenue. However, that added revenue does not fully offset the projected increase in expenses.

According to the presentation, roughly $1 million was also removed from early department requests before the proposed budget was brought to the council.

Motor Vehicle Taxes Could Vary

Maniscalco said some residents may see lower motor vehicle taxes, depending on their vehicle, due to state tax caps and changes in valuation.

That would not affect the broader proposed increase in the property tax rate, but it could reduce the impact for some taxpayers.

Public Hearing Set For April 20

The Town Council did not vote on the full budget Monday night.

Instead, members scheduled a public hearing on the proposed general government budget for April 20 at 8 p.m. at Town Hall.

Maniscalco encouraged residents to participate before the budget is finalized.

“I can’t tell you how many times we don’t hear from residents until they’re paying their tax bill,” he said. “At that point, it’s way too late, so the time to get involved is today, and it’s now.”

Other Items Approved

The council also approved two administrative changes that will take effect July 1.

One establishes new DMV-related fees for delinquent motor vehicle tax accounts and immediate clearance requests. The other adopts a cash-rounding policy tied to the declining use of pennies in circulation.

The budget proposal now moves to the next stage of review, with additional discussion and public input expected before the council takes final action.