09/03/2026
The Colchester town and school budgets passed at referendum Tuesday. And while the story was unable to get into this week's print edition of the Rivereast, here is a special, Facebook-first version. Enjoy!
Colchester Budgets Pass, Spending Freeze Lifted
By Toriana Williams
Colchester voters finally approved both the town and Board of Education budgets on Tuesday, Sept. 1, ending a long and often-heated budget season.
More than 3,200 residents and taxpayers voted in the third referendum. The town budget passed with 1,945 ‘yes’ votes and 1,310 ‘no’ votes. The Board of Education budget passed with 1,854 ‘yes’ votes and 1,395 ‘no’ votes.
Together, the two budgets total $67.85 million, a 3.77% increase from last year’s adopted budget. The town’s operating budget stands at $19.06 million, up 5.38% from the 2025-26 spending package, and the BOE budget is $48.79 million, a 3.16% increase from 2025-26.
The proposed effective mill rate is 30.43, an increase of about 1.7%. It is expected to be conclusively set at the next regularly scheduled Board of Finance meeting on Sept. 9.
This vote came after voters rejected the budgets twice before. Turnout started strong and was about the same as the second referendum, even increasing compared to the first. First Selectman Bernie Dennler, a Democrat, said the vote was the largest budget referendum turnout, and had the most ‘yes’ votes for a budget, since 2010.
Several town leaders offered strong opinions on the lengthy process. Comments from the three major boards showed both relief and concern about what comes next.
Board of Finance member John Thomas, a Republican, said he was surprised the budgets passed. Thomas said the voters had become incredibly involved during the budget process.
“The people in Colchester spoke up in a very big way,” he said.
Thomas said he was happy that residents paid close attention to the budget. He also admitted that he still disagreed with the school budget figure.
“I think they’re still way over budget, but everybody knows my opinion,” he said.
The biggest issue for Thomas, he said, was the cost. He said town officials have a duty to think about what residents can afford.
“I don’t believe that our job, as for the finance [board] members, is to pass something that people can’t afford,” he said.
He warned that some residents may face hard choices because of the cost of living in town.
“I do believe that there are going to be people, with this budget, who are going to have to make some very hard decisions on whether they can even stay in town, and that’s very sad,” said Thomas.
In the end, however, he was glad the budget passed because the town needs money to keep running.
“I didn’t expect it to pass, but I certainly am glad that it did for the one fact that the town needs to be able to operate,” he said.
Board of Finance Chair Karen Belding, a Democrat, also said the vote brought relief.
“It’s definitely a relief,” said Belding. “It’s been a very long process for everyone – residents, the Board of Finance, the town and the schools – and I think we’re all ready to move forward.”
Belding said one of the hardest parts was finding a balance between the town’s needs and what residents could afford to pay on top of the increase of everything else.
“There really weren’t easy choices – every reduction has an impact somewhere,” she explained. Belding also said misinformation made the process harder.
“Another challenge this year was the amount of misinformation circulating, particularly on social media,” she said.
Voters became more interested as the process continued, according to Belding.
“Whether people supported the budgets or opposed them, they were paying attention, and more and more of them came out to vote,” said Belding. “That’s a good thing.”
She shared that the debate was more intense than normal.
“Going through three referendums also meant the conversation went on much longer than a typical budget season,” Belding explained.
Dennler said he was happy the town could move forward.
“It feels great to be able to move forward and get back to the important work we do for our town,” he said, noting that road work, other projects, community programs and events can now move ahead.
The town’s budget freeze has also been lifted. Some services will return right away, while others will take several weeks, Dennler said. Transfer station and town clerk hours are expected to return the following week, and library hours and senior center evening hours are expected to return later this month.
Dennler said one challenge was that the majority of the public debate focused on the school budget.
“I would have liked to talk more about roads, funding maintenance of buildings and grounds and public safety during budget season,” he said. He shared that the town may have missed a chance to improve fire and EMS coverage and traffic safety.
Dennler added that the strong voter turnout showed that residents care about their town.
“I think it says something positive about Colchester that people are so engaged and passionate about our community’s future,” he said.
Board of Selectmen member Tim Vaillancourt, a Republican, said he was not surprised by the results – and noted that both budgets were down from what voters first rejected. At the initial budget referendum on May 20, the proposed town budget was $19.52 million, a 7.93% increase, while the proposed education budget of $50.87 million, which represented a 7.55% increase. Voters overwhelmingly rejected both spending packages.
“People demanded serious cuts to the massive increase asked for again this year,” said Vaillancourt.
He said he wished the final increase could have been zero, but he also understood why voters approved the budgets.
“I’m very proud of the progress we were able to make,” he said.
Vaillancourt also said he believes the growing number of voters is a good sign for the town.
“People’s eyes have been opened. I hope they stay informed and involved no matter what party you belong to,” he said.
He also had a message to share with residents who took part in the process.
“To all who got involved and demanded accountability, this is a victory for you,” said Vaillancourt. “Pay attention, folks; it’s your money.”
Judy O’Meara received a baptism by fire in which she was appointed acting superintendent during such a contentious budget season. She echoed similar sentiments and said school officials were relieved after the vote.
“Our team is very relieved that the budget has passed and that we can now move forward and focus on the school year ahead,” said O’Meara. She thanked the three boards for their countless hours of work.
O’Meara shared that the school budget process was especially difficult, as the spending increase had to be cut multiple times before arriving at a number that proved palatable to voters. The school budget that ultimately passed Tuesday was more than $2 million less than the number first rejected in May.
“Every reduction represented something meaningful, whether it was a position, a program, a resource or a service that supported our schools,” she explained.
She said one of the biggest impacts for students will be fewer middle school athletic opportunities; staffing cuts could also affect programs and services.
“Our priority continues to be protecting the classroom experience as much as possible while providing students with a safe, supportive and engaging school experience,” said O’Meara.
O’Meara added that the strong debate showed that people care about Colchester’s schools.
“At times, the conversations were difficult, but I believe there is value in hearing different perspectives and having community members engaged in the process,” she said.
Now that the vote is over, O’Meara hopes the community can focus on the school year.
“Ultimately, our children are what bring all of us back to a common purpose,” she said.
