Cornwall approves town budget, sets mill rate

CORNWALL – Voters approved the town’s 2026-27 proposed budget during a seven-minute town meeting Friday, May 15, before the Board of Finance set the mill rate at 16.62, a 4.13% increase from the current 15.96 rate.

For a homeowner, that increase will mean annual property taxes of about $5,817 on a home assessed at $350,000, compared with roughly $5,586 today — an increase of about $231.

The approved budget totals $8,924,433, a 6% increase over the current $8,417,014 plan.

Just 11 residents attended the seven-minute budget meeting, moderated by the Rev. Scott Cady. No public comments were offered before the budget moved forward to the Board of Finance for final action on the mill rate.

First Selectman Gordon M. Ridgway said the budget process began in January and credited town boards and commissions with keeping spending requests in check.

“We appreciate the boards and commissions keeping their budgets realistic,” Ridgway said. “Both the selectmen and the Board of Education were able to bring their increases down.”

Still, he said, rising costs made a tax increase unavoidable.

Ridgway said health insurance represented one of the largest increases affecting both municipal and education budgets. Additional cost increases included oil and electricity.

The Board of Selectmen also approved increased funding for several regional social service organizations, including Greenwoods Counseling Services, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau, Northwest Corner Chore Service, the Susan B. Anthony Project and Project SAGE.

“We’re giving people support in trying times,” Ridgway said.

During the meeting, Chairman Joe Pryor said the town’s grand list increased by 1.5%, helping offset some budget pressures.

“That brought us some breathing room,” Pryor said.

With a new mill rate of 16.62, the board voted to use $225,000 from undesignated funds toward next year’s budget. Cornwall is scheduled to undergo a town-wide property revaluation next year.