Fairfield, Trumbull budgets propose 2.6% tax increases

Fairfield and Trumbull residents are both facing tax increases of nearly 2.6% under budget proposals made by their respective municipal leaders.

In her first budget as Fairfield First Selectwoman, Brenda Kupchick proposed a 2.58% tax increase. Her $327.5 million budget for fiscal 2020-21 is an $11.1 million, or 3.5%, increase over the town”™s previous budget.

The town section of Kupchick”™s budget is expected to rise by $4.9 million, or 3.7%, year-over-year to $137.8 million. She said that priorities include hiring a business development director, grant administrator and blight enforcement officer.

The budget”™s school board section anticipates an increase of $5.7 million, or 3.1%, year-over-year to $187.4 million. The board had requested $188.8 million.

Emergency communications, which Fairfield shares with Westport, is expected to rise by $500,000, or 25.3%, to $2.4 million.

Kupchick”™s budget now goes to Fairfield”™s Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting, with final decisions likely to be made in May.

In Trumbull, First Selectman Vicki Tesoro”™s budget proposal would increase taxes by 2.59%, mostly due to contractual raises, rising costs of benefits and some issues with the Board of Education budget. Tesoro said the town will also likely lose $217,000 in Education Cost Sharing from the state.

Tesoro’s budget would raise the town-side budget by $1.58 million and the Board of Education by $3.18 million. The Board of Education requested a 4.56% budget increase, something Tesoro countered with a 3% increase. She noted that Trumbull”™s Town Council has approved an independent audit of the Board of Education”™s finances to investigate what “appears to be the result of systemic problems that began before I took office.”