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Pain at the Pump: Surging gas prices stretch local budgets
Aly Morrissey
Apr 14, 2026
Gas was priced at $4.09 per gallon at the 17 Gay St. Shell station in Sharon, Conn., April 13, just below the national average of $4.12, according to AAA.
Aly Morrissey
Connecticut drivers are paying sharply more at the pump than they were a year ago, with gas prices up more than $1 per gallon — a surge that is hitting wallets across the Northwest Corner even as prices steadied briefly last week.
The spike comes as global tensions continue to cause oil prices to rise. Prices briefly stabilized following news of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but uncertainty returned after talks ended without an agreement, leaving drivers bracing for continued volatility.
Residents of the Northwest Corner and Eastern Dutchess County continue to pay hefty prices at the pump, according to data collected by AAA. Despite high prices, demand for fuel continues to climb.
Just a month ago, Sharon resident and local blacksmith William Trowbridge said a fill-up typically cost around $75. Now, for the first time, he paid more than $100 to fill his truck — a jump that left him concerned when the total climbed into triple digits.
“It makes me angry,” Trowbridge said at the Shell station located at 17 Gay St. in Sharon. “Now, I’m starting to think about combining errands when I go out.”
Trowbridge, like many others, attributes the spike in gas prices to “a war that shouldn’t even be happening.”
At the Gay Street station, employee Jacob Enquest said customer reactions have shifted in recent weeks.
“Whether it was about politics and the war or the prices themselves, everyone had something to say,” Enquest said. “Now people just want to know if prices are going to come down, and I have to tell them their guess is as good as mine.”
Local and National Prices
According to data compiled by AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut held steady last week at $4.08, unchanged from the prior week but significantly higher than earlier this year.
In neighboring New York, prices are slightly higher, averaging $4.12 per gallon as of April 13, according to AAA.
Prices in both states have climbed sharply in recent weeks. In Connecticut, gas is up 56 cents from a month ago and more than $1 higher than this time last year. Nationally, the average price rose to $4.12 per gallon, up 49 cents from a month ago.
Connecticut currently ranks 16th in the nation for highest gas prices, while New York prices are largely in line with the national average. The lowest prices are found in Oklahoma and Kansas, where drivers are paying around $3.44 to $3.49 per gallon, while California and Hawaii are paying nearly $6 per gallon.
Legislation
Rising gas prices are impacting more than just individual drivers, with local businesses, schools and municipalities also feeling the strain as they adjust budgets and daily operations to absorb higher costs.
Local legislators in Connecticut and New York have called for relief for individuals at the pump, receiving mixed results. While Gov. Ned Lamont recently dropped hopes of a gas tax holiday in Connecticut, Dutchess County, New York, legislators advanced a resolution to cap the county’s sales tax on gasoline and diesel at $3 per gallon beginning June 1.
“It will be a modest saving, but any amount helps,” said Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago D-19, who supported the resolution initiated by the Democratic Caucus.
Drago described the price increase as “one of many unfortunate results from this needless war in the Middle East,” adding that Dutchess County should not get a “windfall of taxes” from the war.
“As we know, it’s more and more expensive to live where we live, and it’s hitting families hard,” Drago said. “Anything we can do to alleviate any financial strain at this time is important.”
In Connecticut, lawmakers have explored similar relief measures, though no gas tax holiday has been approved.
Though there is precedent for a gas holiday in Connecticut, like when the Ukraine war first broke out, it has yet to happen since the Iran conflict began.
State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30), who is an advocate for the tax holiday, said that the concept could be revisited if prices remain high.“I’m still hopeful,” Harding said. “If prices remain high, I think there’s a chance it could still happen. People in this state need this type of relief right now.”
The state levies a 25-cent-per-gallon tax on regular gasoline.
For some families, pump prices reflect tipping point
For some local residents, rising gas prices are compounding an already difficult cost of living — forcing tough decisions about where to live and how to get to work.
Guy Gnerre and his wife, Kim, are now facing exactly that reality. The couple, both longtime educators, have lived in the Salisbury area for about 25 years. Gnerre has worked as a special education teacher at Salisbury Central School for the past seven years, while his wife has spent 25 years at Hotchkiss. Now, they are preparing to make a significant change to adapt to the rising cost of living in the region.
Gnerre said home ownership in the area has been a dream for his family, but it has remained just out of reach. The couple has rented locally for more than two decades and is now being forced to move nearly 30 miles away to Torrington after receiving notice that their landlord plans to return and renovate the property.
With a daughter in college and the cost of living at an all-time high, the couple worry about what’s ahead, including fears of dipping into retirement savings to purchase a home that Gnerre said needs lots of work and is in an unfamiliar city.
“Yes, we are going to get obliterated in terms of gas,” Gnerre said, noting that he and his wife plan to carpool after their move. But it’s not just fuel prices that are affecting his family. “Gas is part of the checklist,” he said, adding, “I wish it was just the fuel.”
Schools that rely on diesel say ‘Business as usual – for now’
With diesel prices outpacing regular fuel prices, schools throughout the region are keeping a close eye on costs for buses, but say they’re not ready to make significant changes.
In districts that outsource bus contracts to independent companies, schools typically agree on a diesel rate per gallon at the start of the year. Salisbury Central School, for example, has a contract with All-Star Transportation and prepays for gallons of diesel based on a negotiated price.
“We’re set for the year,” said Sue Bucceri, administrative assistant to the principal. “We’re locked into the price we agreed upon last summer,” before diesel prices surged.
The average price for a gallon of diesel currently costs $5.92 a gallon in Connecticut, up from $3.79 a year ago, according to AAA.
Bucceri works on the budgeting process in partnership with Region One’s business office, and said SCS is not making significant changes for the 2026-2027 budget based on gas prices.
“We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary,” Bucceri said. “We made a nominal increase on price-per-gallon,” she added. At this time, she said the school is fortunate that it’s not being significantly impacted from a budget perspective.
Just across the border in New York, the Webutuck Central School District owns its own fleet of buses and isn’t benefiting from a locked-in price model.
“Gas prices do impact us,” said Robert Farrier, business administrator for the Webutuck Central School District. However, Farrier said he and his colleagues are not worried about the budget at this time, though they plan to keep an eye on prices.
Farrier said the business office padded the transportation section of their budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, to date, they are prepared for unexpected events such as rising fuel costs.
“We’re not canceling field trips or anything like that,” he said.
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Sharon Hospital performing in key areas since merger, report finds
Ruth Epstein
Apr 14, 2026
Sharon Hospital
File photo
SHARON – Sharon Hospital is meeting most of the requirements tied to the 2025 merger between Nuvance Health and Northwell Health, but still faces challenges in patient access services and workforce stability, according to an independent review.
The findings were presented April 8 during a community forum at the hospital, and were also streamed online.
The review, conducted by consulting firm PYA and required by the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy, examined whether the hospital is complying with conditions set when Nuvance Health merged with Northwell in May 2025. Funded by the transitional entities, the assessment is required to be conducted semi-annually. Sharon Hospital was one of three Connecticut sites required to host community forums following the merger, along with Danbury/New Milford and Norwalk, both formerly part of the Nuvance network.
David McMillan, president of PYA, said data was collected and occasional on-site visits were made to each of the Northwell-Nuvance hospitals.
McMillan reported that, of five sets of evaluation criteria, Sharon Hospital was found to be in full compliance with three: oversight, governance and public accountability; community engagement and local representation; and financial sustainability, investment and quality.
The hospital received partial compliance marks in patient access services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, and in workforce stability, or its ability to retain qualified employees.
Additionally, the hospital was found to have inconsistent wait periods for some Medicaid patients across different departments.
For example, McMillan noted, “a difference was seen in neurology between how quickly Medicaid patients received access as compared to others.” He added, “Northwell will work on remedying that.”
While each of these two areas will require a follow-up, McMillan said they “do not represent substantial non-compliance.”
Michelle Robertson, market president of Nuvance, spoke about the hospital’s strategic plan, highlighting five key pillars: patient experience, people, quality, financial performance and efficiency.
McMillan said the state concluded that some points of the strategic plan were missing from Sharon Hospital.
However, hospital officials throughout the state have pushed back, saying some of that information – such as business plans – should be considered confidential.
During his presentation, David Seligman, executive vice president, chief integration officer and market president of Northwell, said the aim is to keep the Northwell hospitals local.
“Our intent is to strengthen services,” Seligman said. “We always start by focusing on quality.”
In addition to matters relating to patient and fiscal operations, a significant rebranding project will kick off on May 1 and will serve as a visual representation of hospital changes. It is estimated to take around two years to complete, and will include placing Northwell’s name on hospital signage, ambulances and workwear.
“This will keep people apprised of what Northwell is all about,” Seligman said.
Sharon Hospital President and Chief Nursing Executive Christina McCulloch spoke of the investment Northwell is making in programs, services and technology. She touched on several new initiatives, such as the Center for Transfers and Acute Coordinated Care (CTACC), which will provide more efficient methods of patient transport; the installation of a hospital paramedic service, which will join the local emergency responders in providing care; the increase of personnel with the hiring of 30 new employees in the last few months; welcoming family medical residents to team up with doctors for clinical experiences; the installation of a new CT scanner and renovations in the emergency department.
She also listed several of the awards Sharon Hospital has received, including 5-Star recognition and honors for the maternity department and stroke care.
“I wanted to share these awards with you so you can have confidence in the care you receive,” she told the audience of about 20.
During a question and answer period, McCulloch said there are 12 members serving on the local community board, hailing from Connecticut and New York state towns with a wide range of experience in various professions.
An audience member asked whether efforts are being made to bring more family medicine practitioners to the area. McCulloch said recruitment is being done. She also responded to a question about whether the labor and delivery unit is being marketed.
“Yes,” she replied. “We are sharing that we are open and here to deliver.”
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Sharon Board of Ed. ordered to revise budget for 0% increase
Alec Linden
Apr 14, 2026
Sharon Center School faces budget cuts next year.
Alec Linden
SHARON – The Board of Education voted to cut nearly $70,000 from the staff salaries section of its 2026-2027 budget proposal during a special meeting held Wednesday, April 8.
The decision came after a March 31 directive from the Sharon Board of Finance to reduce the BOE budget by $69,477, bringing it to a 0% increase over the current year. With the reduction, the new draft – which is the ninth version of the document the BOE has reviewed this budget cycle –now totals $4,123,996.
The BOE is not permitted to go below this number due to the state’s Minimum Budget Requirement, or the MBR, which prohibits municipalities from spending less on education than the previous year.
During Wednesday’s last-minute meeting, Region One Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley and Sharon Center School Principal Carol Tomkalski presented the BOE with four reduction options that would achieve the cut the BOF requested. Ultimately, the Board opted to remove the amount from the salaries line of the budget, which, Brady-Shanley explained, does not necessarily mean the money will be drawn from employee wages.
“None of these options are fabulous,” she said, but she noted that reducing the salary line allows the BOE some flexibility even after the budget is voted on by the town.
“It gives us the gift of time,” Brady-Shanley said, describing the reduction as a “placeholder” solution.
She explained that even after the town approves budget bottom lines, the BOE has until June 30 to reallocate funds internally. Further, the $2,461,304 salaries line is one of the few areas large enough to absorb a $70,000 cut, she said.
Other options on the table were the elimination of the math interventionist position, or the removal of the building substitute and library paraeducator roles. Tomkalski, who presented these options to the Board, said that both choices would directly impact student learning and school operations.
“Our building sub is involved every day,” she said, and the library paraeducator plays a big role in the student experience both in the library and in the cafeteria, she added. That employee also supports the Early Kindergarten program, she continued.
An additional option to eliminate the school’s cafeteria was also considered. The plan would cut all in-house food services and staff, instead feeding students via meals prepared at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School and delivered daily to the school. Cornwall Central School and the Lee H. Kellogg School in Falls Village currently have similar systems in place.
Several BOE members asked about the logistics of the plan, and Brady-Shanley affirmed that it has been successful at both schools. She noted that sacrificing the cafeteria experience may have impacts on the sense of community at the school, but that “we will get food” to the students.
Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick, speaking via Zoom, said EdAdvance, northwest Connecticut’s Regional Education Service Center and Region One’s food service provider, has indicated the off-site option would work for Sharon Center School.
“The only thing unaccounted for in this scenario is the mileage,” he said, but noted that since the option would reduce the budget by over $71,000, the BOE would have to put approximately $1,700 back into the budget, which could at least partially account for the estimated $3,500-$4,000 driving costs.
BOE Chair Philip O’Reilly pointed out that choosing to reduce the salaries section would leave the cafeteria option open since internal budget transfers are allowed. The final motion, made by member Konrad Kruger, opted to trim the salary lines with the stipulation that the reduction could be transferred to eliminate on-site cafeteria services.
Some members of the BOE were disturbed by the mandatory last-minute reduction. “I’m very troubled by this process,” said Terry Vance, who helmed the BOE’s budget subcommittee. “I don’t feel comfortable at all.”
Peter Birnbaum said that “messing around with [the budget] at this time is very, very unproductive,” noting that being forced to cut services over a proposed 1.67%increase could jeopardize forward momentum for the school.
“All we do is risk progress,” he said.
Sharon Center School is currently enrolled with 94 students, eight of whom pay out-of-district tuition. Those numbers are expected to rise next year to 106 total students from early kindergarten to eighth grade, with 14 tuition students.
The BOE and municipal budgets will both go before a public hearing on April 24 before they are sent to a town vote on May 8.
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Lakeville Journal reporter talks shop with young students
Ruth Epstein
Apr 14, 2026
Lakeville Journal Senior Reporter Patrick Sullivan delivers presentation at Salisbury Central School’s Career Day.
Madi Long
SALISBURY – Lakeville Journal senior reporter Patrick Sullivan gave Salisbury Central School students a close look at local journalism during Friday’s Career Day.
In his well-known jocular manner, Sullivan, whose byline has appeared in the weekly newspaper for the past 22 years, followed a list of questions prepared for presenters by school counselor Donna Begley.
Sullivan described work at a newspaper as a place where there is no such thing as a typical day. Over the years, he has learned to expect the unexpected – usually right before deadline.
While explaining the production timeline, Sullivan painted a frenetic scene with moving parts and remote and in-person staff.
“Out of all the chaos comes two papers, The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, and an arts section called Compass,” he said.
Sullivan said the papers have a reputation for being fair and accurate purveyors of news, noting “accuracy is critical. It’s important to get it right; double-checking is part of the job. Also important is the ability to take notes in a hurry. That’s a great skill. I cannot emphasize that enough. Also, journalists need to keep an open mind and write concisely.”
Sullivan has been asked why he doesn’t record meetings on his phone rather than take notes. “Why would I want to have to listen to a meeting twice?” he asked rhetorically, along with a grimace.
Not all the work of reporters is exciting, such as sitting through hours-long meetings of local boards and commissions, but it needs to be done to keep community members informed. He’s gotten to know many interesting people over the years.
Sullivan said he enjoys covering sports and watching kids he knows compete.
“But being both a reporter and photographer can be challenging,” he said.
Sullivan is the author of a column about fly fishing titled “Tangled Lines” that allows him to combine his two top talents.
Reflecting on how he got started, Sullivan said his path into journalism was unconventional.
Sullivan, who has been in alcohol recovery for 26 years, said he was working at a rehab center at the time but was ready for a change. With a degree in English and aware he was good at two things — writing and fly fishing — he called the Lakeville Journal to inquire about a job.
The timing was right. Someone had left and there was an opening.
Now, after all those years, he finds himself being a public figure, recognized wherever he goes.
During the presentation, he distributed press notebooks to everyone, pointing out their small size allows them to fit into pockets. Sullivan said he goes through about 300 in a year. He also presented students with pens, compliments of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News.
There are jobs other than reporting at the papers, he said, listing such opportunities as photography and layout. He also spoke of the award-winning student newspaper, HVRHS Today, which students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School are producing with assistance from The Lakeville Journal.
“They do a great job,” he said.
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New kindergarten eligibility law leaves 4-year-olds in a gray area in Region One
Alec Linden
Apr 14, 2026
Salisbury Central School
File photo
Following a state law announced by Gov. Ned Lamont in early March, Region One elementary schools will not accept any new students to kindergarten who have not turned five by Sept. 1, with no exceptions. The decision has prompted frustrations among some families and raised questions about early education age cutoffs.
Region One School District Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley shared a message with the community on March 24 across multiple platforms announcing that the state had passed a law changing the age requirement for children entering kindergarten. For Region One, the change eliminates the waiver process previously used by parents seeking to enroll younger children they believe are ready for the next step in their education.
The waiver itself is relatively recent, debuting at the start of the 2024–2025 school year in response to new legislation that moved the kindergarten birthday deadline from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, while allowing younger students to be admitted following a developmental screening.
The new law change eliminates that option as part of an extended effort in Hartford to standardize kindergarten admission rules across the state.
Brady-Shanley noted that since the waiver process was introduced, approximately seven to 10 students have used it per year. Current kindergarten enrollment across Region One elementary schools is 98 students.
Brady-Shanley said that as of early April, few parents had responded, with only one family reaching out to her directly about the change. Still, she sympathizes with parents who want their children in kindergarten but who don’t make the cutoff.
“Four is a tough year, no doubt,” she said.
Darcy Boynton, a Salisbury mother of two, is one parent who is frustrated by what she sees as the relative arbitrariness of age cutoffs. Her younger daughter, who she says thrives in social environments and is ready for the school system, narrowly misses the birthday cutoff for Salisbury Central School’s early kindergarten program, known as EK.
She said the deadline puts her daughter in a difficult place for educational progression. “I just want to make sure we can figure out a plan for her next year where she’s enriched, stretched, learning and growing,” she said. “I don’t want to put the pause on her for a year.”
While her daughter is not directly impacted by the rule change, she sees the hard cutoff as part of a broader, difficult question about assessing the readiness of children to enter kindergarten.
Salisbury Central School Principal Stephanie Magyar said, “We put [the EK] program in place all those years ago because it cuts down significantly in kindergarten retention.” The program is flexible in that it accepts older students based on developmental screening, but will not take students born after Dec. 31.
She recommended that parents of younger children who want their kids to get a head start in the school environment should consider applying for pre-K, even if they feel their child has outgrown it. “If your child can attend pre-K,” she explained, “then they’re here in the school, and we can differentiate,” she said, meaning that staff can tailor the student’s experience based on their demonstrated development and educational progress.
She noted that Region One’s pre-K programs prioritize students with special needs and that placement isn’t guaranteed. Plus, while students who demonstrate a special need are granted free tuition, the program costs $1,200 annually for those who don’t. There is also a middle tier for students who don’t fully qualify for a special need, which costs $600.
She noted that Falls Village’s Lee H. Kellogg school is proposing to add a “combo” pre-K and EK program for the upcoming school year in response to the rule change. She said that at the moment, the addition is the only staffing and budgetary change across Region One schools resulting from the announcement.
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Local students get a taste of the real world during Career Day
Ruth Epstein
Apr 14, 2026
Ella Emberlin, an eighth grader at Salisbury Central School, meets alum Colby Hickey, owner of Colby’s Tree Service, on Career Day.
Madi Long
SHARON – Sharon Center School students got a firsthand look at potential career paths on Friday, April 10, during their annual Career Day, where guest speakers from a range of fields spoke with students in fourth through eighth grade.
The annual event is organized by school counselor Liz Foster, who aims to showcase the positions held by local community members. Presenters included a meteorologist, scuba diving instructor, mechanic and attorney.
In one classroom, students listened intently as two Connecticut State Police troopers provided an overview of their duties. Josh Wedge and Miranda Coretto of Troop B in North Canaan discussed the types of incidents they respond to, including car crashes, crimes and emergency calls. The troopers said they are also asked to cover large events, such as fairs and games. They told students police are dispatched through two radios – one in their vehicles and the other a portable radio they carry.
Wedge talked about specialty units within the State Police department, such as K-9, marine, bomb squad, tactical and traffic units.
Students particularly enjoyed hearing about the K-9 unit, which is composed of German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, bloodhounds and comfort dogs. One youngster shared that he had a bloodhound. Wedge told them Connecticut had the first currency dog, which is used to sniff out large amounts of concealed money in the fight against money laundering, illegal gambling and smuggling.
Troopers, the students learned, are allowed to take their patrol cars home. “Our jurisdiction is the whole state, so we might be needed anywhere,” Wedge said. In addition to the SUVs they drive, there are also motorcycle units and an armored car division. Of interest to the students was the cadet program, open to those 14 to 20 years old. Members get certified in CPR, receive physical training and take part in educational offerings.
State troopers Josh Wedge and Miranda Coretto visit with Sharon Center School students on Career Day April 10. From left: Giuseppe Socci, Galo Suby, Eivin Peterson, Emma Mariano, Kora Begley and Spencer Whitesel.Ruth Epstein
Attorney Veronica Relea of Sharon and New York City works for a large firm in the city, where she specializes in contract energy law.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, she said, “I help people agree on things. I help with big projects, like being able to power your house. A lawyer is always putting things together. We try to come up with solutions for clients.”
Relea said she did not enjoy law school. “What I learned most was at my job,” she said.
Outside the school, crews from both the local ambulance service and volunteer fire department gave students a close-up look at their vehicles and explained their duties.
Beth Klippel and Brian Moore, volunteer firefighters in Sharon, pointed out the various equipment that is carried on their trucks.
Anthony Ferrara and Phil Burke of Northeast Fire Rescue supplement the local ambulance squad. As the children sat in the back of the ambulance, Ferrara said the job of emergency medical responders is to transport patients to a higher level of care, stabilizing them as they go. He said this can include checking blood pressure, blood sugar levels and oxygen levels.
Ferrara added, “My aim, when people are obviously having a bad day, is to make them smile.”
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