Hamden council refers proposed FY27 budget to June 15 public hearing after clarifying offsets

The Hamden Town Council voted on June 1 to refer the proposed FY27 town budget, capital plan and sewer budget to a public hearing on June 15.

Town manager Paula and finance staff explained that some revenue items — including $185,792 of TIF receipts applied to voter-approved bonds and an additional $300,000 personnel reserve transfer proposed to offset expenses — change how the bottom-line increase appears on the spreadsheet. "Because we are using our own money, much like a fund balance transfer, our budget is actually ... less than last year's budget," staff said, urging the council to consider explanatory materials for public distribution.

Vice Chair Cormier and other councilors emphasized public outreach and asked that staff post a clear memo or chart explaining the offsets and how they affect tax calculations. Councilor Marble supported posting the explanatory memo so residents can better understand the figures before the public hearing.

The council clarified that referring the budget "as proposed" does not preclude amendments at the public hearing; changes can be made on June 15 after public comment. The referral motion passed by roll call (6-0, 1 absent).

Next steps: the public hearing on the proposed FY27 budget is scheduled for June 15; staff will post the manager’s explanatory memo and related charts to the town website ahead of that meeting.