Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/author/michael-b-guarco-jr/)
One of the oft-heard concerns throughout the budget process relates to the desire of many for the boards to work diligently and collaboratively to flatten out the rate of increase in the budget and, more importantly, the mill-rate change year to year. A key consideration in how the Granby Board of Finance looks at budgeting and the fiscal affairs of the town IS that stability in working towards a modest slope in the rate of increase in both.
Like many towns across Connecticut, Granby held three budget referendum votes before passing it on the third try: 1,425 approving and 1,026 rejecting—58 percent to 42 percent. The first budget vote was rejected with nearly the reverse percentages, while the second referendum had a closer tally but still a No.
On occasion I hear back and forth banter about who “owns” the money from this or that revenue stream received by the town. The simple answer in most cases is—whether generated on the municipal side or education—it flows into the General Fund of the Town of Granby.
At its Feb. 9 meeting, the Granby Board of Finance reviewed all then-available pertinent information that would impact the FY27 budget, took public comment and set operating budget guidelines at no more than its initial Plus One budget’s net impact on the mill rate. The municipal operating projection is for a 2.38 percent increase.
At the Jan. 20 Three Board Meeting, members of the boards of selectmen, education and finance shared initial projections for what fiscal year 2027— running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027—may look like from their respective perspectives, and in aggregate.
While the town boards annually prepare the fiscal year’s budget and operations plan, there is also a process of looking ahead at the capital needs of both buildings and infrastructure. Within the annual budget proposal are components that deal with the ongoing obligation to take care of what we have.
Board of finance members often hear, “why does the mill rate seem to always go up while in most years rates don’t change for federal and state income taxes? From the revenue perspective, this reflects that the income base to which state and federal tax rates apply generally increases annually as income levels and taxable population steadily rise.
The onset of summer brings a diminished pace of outwardly visible activity for Town Hall and the school system’s Central Office. It also heightens the work for the fiscal staff, as they look to close the books on FY25 and open them for FY26 that began on July 1. In particular, it is a snapshot of Granby’s finances on June 30, the close of the fiscal year.
Like any household or business, the Town of Granby has its share of physical assets to protect and maintain. Whether it’s buildings at the Town Hall complex, plow trucks, schools or Salmon Brook Park, there are millions of dollars’ worth of physical plant, rolling stock and infrastructure that we as a town have the responsibility and obligation to manage and maintain.
With winter winding down and spring upon us, the budget process is in full swing for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026). An important aspect of the budget process is the General Fund—and how it does and does not work. We will look at the current 2025 fiscal year, at the budget for FY26, and we will consider the near-term years beyond.