The Rocky Hill Town Council held its bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday, April 22, following a public hearing on the proposed 2025–2026 municipal budget, delivered by Town Manager Ray Carpentino.
Budget Public Hearing Overview
During the public hearing, the Town Manager presented his proposed budget, which has been available for public review on the Town’s website for several weeks. The proposal contains no major surprises or additions since its release.
Key budget highlights include:
- A 3.5% increase in funding for the Board of Education.
- A 3.7% increase for all other municipal expenses.
- This results in a total expenditure increase of 3.59%, moving from approximately $100 million to $103 million.
- The proposed mill rate increase is 1.8 mills.
The primary drivers of the budget increases are salary and insurance costs, while reductions were seen in capital expenditures and a contraction in the grand list.
No new full-time positions are being added to Town staff, with one part-time role moving to full-time. The Town Manager has proposed eliminating one Public Works position. A request from the Police Department for an additional officer and increased overtime funds was not included in the final proposed budget. The assistant Library director position remains frozen, as it was this past year.
One notable item: The Board of Education has access to $1.6 million from a health insurance-related fund. Their stated priority is to use this money for roof replacement at West Hill School. During the subsequent Town Council meeting, the Council unanimously approved moving these funds into a non-recurring fund for the Board of Education. A formal vote on the specific allocation is expected in the near future.
Council Meeting Highlights
The regular Council meeting began shortly after at 7:30 p.m. and proceeded efficiently. Key subcommittee updates included:
- Finance Committee: The committee is evaluating how to use $242,000 in special revenue from police forfeitures and seizures. Potential uses include purchasing new vehicles—including the possibility of an electric vehicle. (More details are available in the April 10 Finance Committee meeting recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/KozUCf2wamA?si=Cyf_qS-hT1b7O_VE&t=1074.
- Government Operations Committee: The committee is exploring solutions for Public Works staff to have a safe space to eat and rest during storm events, as the Fire Marshal has deemed their current garage setup unsafe. A temporary trailer rental is being considered at a cost of $70,000.
- Senior Liaison Committee: The next quarterly meeting will be held on Monday, April 28 at 5:00 p.m.
- Capital Improvement Committee: The West Hill roof project has been moved forward to 2026, and the Stevens School HVAC project has been postponed to 2027.
Finally, the Council unanimously approved a resolution to begin the process of joining the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority (MRDA). This move would allow Rocky Hill to tap into state funding and resources for redevelopment projects, including those along Silas Deane Highway and potential Town Center areas.
Get Involved
The April 22 meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m., making it one of the shortest of the year despite a 25-minute budget presentation prior. With public attendance low and budget workshops continuing this week, now is the perfect time to get engaged in shaping the future of our community. The first budget workshop will be Thursday, April 24th at 5:30 in Council Chambers.
📌 Want to get more involved?
Attend upcoming budget meetings, or contact the Democratic Town Committee to learn how you can support responsible, community-focused governance in Rocky Hill.
