Dear residents,

We will be voting on revised town and school budgets at a 2nd referendum proposed for Tuesday, June 18. In the revised budget proposal, the town and schools have cut the year-over-year spending growth from 8.6% to 5% overall, with Board of Finance approval. The two biggest drivers in the increase in spending for FY2024-25 are:

1. The tripling of the number of students needing extensive out-of-district services from two to six students, at a cost in the realm of half a million dollars. The second round of BOE cuts include removing a full-time teaching position by attrition to absorb some of the above cost impact. Further reductions are likely to increase class sizes.
2. Major repairs of both schools’ roofs and HVAC plus potential solar panel installation in our town’s capital spending plan. It should be noted that the 2nd round $125,000 in cuts in the Selectmen’s Budget come entirely from capital reserve earmarked for those repairs, resulting from a unanimous BOS vote.

To stem further damage to essential town and schools services, please support this revised budget at the polls on the proposed date of Tuesday, June 18, at the Town Offices, 40 Old Farms Road. And, to ask about the revised budget and set the 2nd referendum date, please attend the in-person-only Town Meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 10, at the Old Town Hall.

For further information, please go to the town website to see the 2nd referendum revised budget summary compared with the original spending plan.

And refer to BOS, BOE and BOF recorded meetings on Willington’s official YouTube channel.

Sincerely,

Willington Democrats