CORNWALL– Residents will vote on the town’s proposed 2026–27 budget at a town meeting scheduled for Friday, May 15, at Cornwall Consolidated School, where officials are presenting a spending plan that would raise property taxes by about 4%.
The proposed mill rate is 16.62, up from 15.96 this year. For a homeowner, that increase would 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. In Connecticut, the assessed value is 70% of the market rate.
The proposed budget totals $8,924,433, a 6% increase over the current $8.417,014 plan, with education costs driving the majority of the growth.
More than half of the spending is tied to education, including both Cornwall Consolidated School and the town’s share of the Region One school district. The combined education budget is just over $5.2 million. Cornwall Consolidated School’s operating budget is about $3.2 million, up 6.41%, while the town’s Region One assessment is $2.2 million, up 8.99%.
On the municipal side, the Board of Selectmen’s operating budget is proposed at $2.63 million, an increase of 4.72%, while capital spending is set at $760,000, up 4.83%. Debt service is one of the few declining areas, dropping 2.28%.
Town officials point to rising costs in insurance and employee benefits as key drivers.
To support the plan, the town is projecting $7,937,142 in net property tax revenue. After accounting for state aid, local revenues and a $225,000 use of fund balance, that amount represents the portion of the budget to be funded by property taxes.
The budget vote will take place in person at the school and will not be conducted by ballot, as is the case with the Region One budget.
Voting Details
May 15, 7:30 p.m.
Cornwall
Consolidated School
5 Cream Hill Rd,
West Cornwall
