BOE Budget Request 2025

Dear Fairfielders,

TAX HIKES & EDUCATION CUTS—BUT HUGE PAY RAISES AT TOWN HALL

35% increase in non-contractual salaries in the First Selectman's Office

Your taxes are going UP, and education funding is being slashed, by Bill Gerber, yet the First Selectman’s Office is handing out massive salary increases—using your money.

Here’s where your tax dollars are going instead:

Chief Operations Officer: +$40,000
Chief of Staff: +$18,000
Deputy Chief of Staff: +$12,000
Constituent Services Coordinator: +$5,000
Communications Director: +$70,000 (part-time to full-time, addition of health & retirement costs).

EMAIL THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN (BOS)

BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET

The Board of Education approved a budget proposal for its 2025-26 school year for $234,932,226, a 6.68% year-over-year increase. The main drivers of this increase were contractual obligations (particularly a new, three-year teachers' contract), much higher than anticipated busing costs, and special education expenses (especially rising student outplacement costs). The BoE's budget also includes $888K in higher state health insurance premiums and a $209K town pension adjustment.

GERBER CUTS EDUCATION PROPOSAL BY $5M

In a move that puts educational programing in jeopardy, while simultaneously increasing debt service payments for the Town, First Selectman Bill Gerber has slashed the BoE budget proposal by $5 million. Gerber has proposed diverting $1 million in BOE capital projects to the Town’s Debt Services line, shifting the burden of increased borrowing costs onto the Town. The remaining $4 million in cuts now falls on the Board of Education, forcing them to make difficult reductions that will impact students and teachers alike.

WHERE WILL THE EDUCATION SPENDING CUT COME FROM?

From Board of Education discussions, we know that approximately $760,000 in savings might come from increasing the walking distance for elementary and middle school students, effectively forcing younger children to walk further and reducing the number of buses needed. The remaining cuts, however, remain uncertain, leaving students, parents, and educators in limbo as Gerber's financial decisions threaten programs and services.

The Board of Selectmen will discuss the BOE budget on Wednesday, February 26th at 10:00 am. You can find the agenda and links to watch the meeting by clicking here. You can e-mail the Board of Selectmen by clicking here.

WATCH BOS BUDGET HEARING #3 (Wednesday, Feb 26)

BOE BUDGET PROPOSAL

2025-2026 TOWN BUDGET PROPOSAL