East Lyme Voters Approve 2025-26 Budget Amid Increased Spending

Voters in East Lyme, Connecticut, approved the town's proposed 2025-26 budget of $96.7 million by a vote of 946-614, marking a 6.7% increase in spending compared to the current package. The budget allocates $63.2 million for the school district, a 5.3% increase, and $25.2 million for general government, a 10% increase. Key drivers of the growth include employee salaries and benefits, special education costs, and inflationary pressures on health insurance and pensions.

Key Takeaways:

• The approved budget of $96.7 million represents a 6.7% increase over the current spending package.
• $63.2 million of the budget is allocated for the school district, a 5.3% increase, driven by rising employee salaries and benefits, as well as special education costs.
• The general government budget increased by 10% to $25.2 million, largely due to inflationary pressures on health insurance and pensions.
• The town's Democratic registrar of voters, Wendi Sims, attributed the high voter turnout to community interest and the new ballot tabulator, which allowed for rapid vote counting.
• Sims expressed hope that the high voter engagement will continue through the November municipal elections.

Statistics:

• 946 voters supported the 2025-26 budget, while 614 voted against it.
• The budget increase amounts to $6.1 million, or 6.7% more than the current spending package.
• The school district's budget increased by $3.2 million, representing a 5.3% rise.
• General government spending rose by $2.3 million, a 10% increase.
• The town's property tax rate will rise by 1.66 mills to 28.01, plus the original proposed increase of 3 mills.
• The number of ballots cast at the town's community center was 745, with a total of nearly 1,600 voters participating in the election.

Sources:

• "East Lyme budget passes despite concerns." j.lakowsky@theday.com. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
• "The Day (New London, Conn.)." 2025. Visit www.theday.com.
• Tribune Content Agency, LLC, 2025.