Somers board enacts spending freeze, endorses additional $350,000 in town cuts as budget fight continues

The Somers Board of Selectmen voted on July 2 to impose an immediate townwide spending freeze and endorsed an additional $350,000 in proposed reductions to the town government budget as officials worked to prepare for another budget referendum.

Financial officer Brian McIsenger told the board the freeze limits spending to necessary expenditures — payroll, utilities, insurance and other immediate obligations — and requires all other spending to be routed to his office for approval until a budget is passed. "We're now effectively into the new fiscal year and we don't have a budget at this point," McIsenger said, urging the board to authorize the freeze so the town can pay current expenses.

The board also discussed a package of cuts that officials say have already reduced spending by $936,084 since the first referendum failure on May 19 and that the Board of Education and town departments previously made more than $800,000 in reductions. McIsenger presented a list of additional town-side reductions totaling $350,000 — including staff reclassifications, position eliminations, reduced hours at the library and transfer station, and shifting certain personnel costs to special funds — and said those measures would bring town government reductions to $697,731 and overall reductions to $1,286,084. "Even after all of that ... we will still require a 0.70 mil increase to balance the budget," he said.

Board members voted to endorse the $350,000 of cuts but made that endorsement contingent on the Board of Finance formally requesting such reductions. The endorsement passed on a voice vote.

The board set a budget referendum date (see separate action) and McIsenger told members he will present a proposed fiscal 2027 budget of $41,640,005, with a proposed mill rate of 23.09, to the Board of Finance for consideration. Officials reiterated that state law constrains how much the town can reduce the Board of Education appropriation; the board said it has requested a state calculation under Connecticut General Statute 10-262J to confirm the education minimum budget requirement before recommending further school-side cuts.

Residents who spoke during public comment urged the board to avoid repeating votes and to find deeper savings. "Each time [we redo the vote] it costs about $7,000 of taxpayers' money," resident Steve Verchille said, urging officials to coordinate with the Board of Finance and Board of Education. Joel Abramson, another resident, said a "level" budget promise to voters produced confusion and said the currently set mill rate would act as a restricted revenue line for next year.

What happens next: the Board of Finance will review the selectmen's proposed budget and the contingent endorsement of the $350,000 in cuts; the town will proceed under the spending freeze until a budget is adopted by referendum or other formal action.