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City Council Approves 2025-26 Budgets Amid Education Funding Concerns

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The City Council of New London has approved the 2025-26 general government and school budgets, which together reduce the tax rate by 0.30 mills. However, the spending plans do not include additional school funding, sparking concerns among educators and school supporters. The budgets were proposed by Mayor Michael Passero in late March and survived intact despite repeated calls to add millions of dollars more in education spending. The school budget maintains district spending at $47.4 million, while the Board of Education had proposed a $54.7 million budget with $22.5 million covered by state Educational Cost Sharing monies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2025-26 general government and school budgets were approved by a 4-1 vote, with Councilor Jefferey Hart voting against both measures.
  • The budgets reduce the tax rate by 0.30 mills, despite concerns from educators and school supporters about the lack of additional school funding.
  • The school budget maintains district spending at $47.4 million, which is $7.3 million less than the Board of Education's proposed budget.
  • The school district needs about $4.5 million more than the proposed budget to maintain services and employee levels, according to Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie.
  • The new budget includes $1.1 million in increased police department funding, $450,000 in new spending for Ocean Beach Park operators, and $800,000 more for the fire and public works departments.
  • The city has funneled $1.75 million in excess revenue from 2024 into the 2025-26 budget to make up for a $2.5 million loss of state funding under Gov. Ned Lamont's proposed biennial budget.
  • The new budget translates to a tax rate of 27.2 mills, down from 27.5.

Statistics:

  • $47.4 million: the amount of funding for the school district in the approved budget.
  • $54.7 million: the amount of funding proposed by the Board of Education.
  • $22.5 million: the amount of state Educational Cost Sharing monies that would cover part of the board's proposed budget.
  • $7.3 million: the amount by which the board's proposed budget exceeds the approved budget.
  • $4.5 million: the additional funding needed by the school district to maintain services and employee levels, according to Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie.
  • 4-1: the vote margin by which the budgets were approved.
  • $1.4 million: the increase in the city budget from the current one.
  • $1.1 million: the increase in police department funding.
  • $450,000: the new spending for Ocean Beach Park operators.
  • $800,000: the additional funding for the fire and public works departments.
  • $2.5 million: the anticipated loss of state funding under Gov. Ned Lamont's proposed biennial budget.
  • $1.75 million: the amount of excess revenue from 2024 that was funneled into the 2025-26 budget.
  • 27.2: the new tax rate, down from 27.5.

Sources:

  • "New London City Council OKs budget with small tax rate cut," by John Penney, The Day (New London, CT).
  • "New London school budget vote delayed, concerns about funding linger," by John Penney, The Day (New London, CT).

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