After referendum defeat, Somers selectmen approve $272,731 in cuts to approach a zero‑increase budget

After a resounding budget defeat at the polls, the Somers Board of Selectmen on June 4 adopted a package of spending cuts totaling $272,731 designed to move the town toward a zero‑increase budget.

CFO Brian Whistinger, presenting the finance report, said the referendum failed by 327 votes and laid out specific reductions to trim recurring spending. "First thing would be to close the transfer station on Mondays," Whistinger said, explaining the adjustment (the transfer station is currently open four days a week) and estimating labor and benefits savings related to reducing staff time at that facility. His proposal also included eliminating one full‑time equivalent in the human‑services department, freezing cost‑of‑living adjustments for town employees, suspending the annual grants to the Cultural Commission and the Economic Development Commission, closing the senior center on Fridays, reducing library purchases by $10,000, and eliminating the deputy emergency‑management position.

Whistinger said the cuts total $272,731, which would put the town $3,821 under the current year’s spending — a roughly 0.04% reduction relative to the current fiscal year. Board members debated alternatives, including reducing recreation staffing and timing changes to transfer‑station service rather than outright closure, and discussed implications for hiring and service delivery.

Selectmen voted to adopt the CFO’s recommended cuts by voice vote. The board also approved a separate motion to eliminate a proposed new ambulance/fire‑department position that had been budgeted for future years; members noted eliminating that proposed position would affect FY 2027 and FY 2028 plans.

Board members and staff said they plan to publish the sequence of cuts and comparative budgets publicly ahead of the next referendum on June 16, 2026, and to post materials for residents who request details.

What this means: The board’s vote changes the town’s proposed spending plan ahead of the scheduled June 16 referendum; many cuts affect personnel and weekly services. Several items (hours and staffing at the transfer station, recreation positions, and human‑services operations) may need follow‑up implementation decisions by staff and further votes.