Tax Increase Alert Budget 2025 Part Two
- Laura Devlin
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Dear Fairfielders,
Lack of Transparency: A Half Baked Budget That Doesn’t Reflect Reality
Your Taxes Are Going Up - AGAIN - We deserve to know why. Budget Hearings continue today at the Board of Selectmen. Over the past few months, the First Selectman has mentioned and alluded to organizational changes at various town meetings. Yet, when it comes to his new budget proposal increasing taxes, these changes are nowhere to be found. How can the administration justify a budget that fails to reflect actual positions and salaries?
Unlike previous years, no official organizational charts were provided in the budget book. Instead, Gerber essentially dismissed them as irrelevant and antiquated. But without this basic transparency, how can taxpayers trust that this budget accurately represents the town’s financial obligations?
It’s evident from recent discussions that even the administration itself is unclear on the scope and cost of the proposed changes. This budget includes numerous new positions and substantial salary increases—without explanation. Even more concerning, it omits positions and reporting structures that have already been publicly discussed and, in some cases, implemented—without proper budget transfers being approved by the Board of Finance.
This isn’t responsible governance—it’s a financial shell game at the taxpayers’ expense.
This is a half-baked budget at best, and dishonest at the very least.
Key Issues:
35% salary increase in the First Selectman’s Office—where is the accountability?
New Capital Projects & Operations Department—what’s the cost, how many employees are we adding?
Capital Outlay—$100,000 Command Vehicle awarded to the Chief Operating Officer—with no details provided on why or how.
Dissolution of the Parking Authority—but no explanation of the costs or impact of taking over operations.Watch the ongoing budget discussions here beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25th.
SPEED CAMERAS PASSED THE RTM LAST NIGHT - QUICK CASH GRAB?
Yesterday we shared that the Gerber administration’s budget includes nearly $1 million for speed cameras, yet little has been shared with the public about the initiative. At Monday’s BoS Budget Hearing, Gerber admitted he’s relying on fines as revenue and will be scrambling to balance the budget without them. He now needs to count on cameras being rushed into place as quickly as possible to start generating cash flow
Is this really about safety—or just a desperate budget fix?
First violation: Warning
Second violation: $50 fine
Additional violations: $75 fine
You can watch a recording of the RTM Meeting here.
We hope you find this information helpful. Please contact us at rtc@fairfieldrtc.com with any questions, we always welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Laura M. Devlin
RTC Chair
Mike Grant
RTC Vice Chair
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