First Selectman's Report: May 8, 2026
Annual Budget Meeting - Wednesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM
The Annual Budget will be held on Wednesday, May 13 at Town Hall in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2 at 7:00 PM. As a reminder, the Annual Budget Meeting is in-person only. Please bring identification.
Referendum on Town and Board of Education budgets will be held on Wednesday, May 20 from 6AM to 8PM at Colchester Town Hall.
Absentee ballots will be available following the Annual Budget Meeting.
Click here to view related budget documents:
Additional State Funds to Colchester
Last week, legislators and Governor Ned Lamont reached a deal to provide Connecticut towns statewide with an additional $170 million in school funding and an additional $100 million in municipal aid from the state’s Affordability Fund. These funds are being allocated specifically with the intent of reducing local property taxes and providing real relief for taxpayers “while keeping classrooms running and local services strong,” according to the Governor’s office.
This week, we received updated revenue projections from the state showing an additional $600,000 in state aid headed for Colchester for the upcoming fiscal year. This includes nearly $500,000 in supplemental educational aid and over $100,000 in additional municipal aid.
This aid can significantly reduce the proposed projected mill rate increase to 2.09 — a reduction of .37 mill from the current proposal — if the Board of Finance updates its revenue projections accordingly. This would result in a mill rate of 32.01 if both budgets are adopted as-is.
While it is too late to change the official revenue projections used in the Town Meeting budget book, the Board of Finance can and should update these projections prior to setting the mill rate following referendum on Wednesday, May 20 if the budgets are adopted.
For years, Colchester has suffered from the widening gap between the rising cost of education and mostly stagnant state aid. This funding represents a course-correction that will help ease the burden on residents in a challenging year.
I encourage the Board of Finance to act in accordance with the intent of this legislation and to use the full amount to reduce the proposed
property tax levy for FY27.
A mill rate scenario sheet with the updated state revenue runs is below.
RecPlex and Bacon Academy Contracts Approved
Last night, the Board of Selectmen voted to accept the recommendation of the Athletic Complex Building Committee and award a contract to FieldTurf for renovation of the Bacon Academy Athletic Complex and Town Recreation Complex, as authorized by the February 2026 referendum.
Construction will begin late spring to include the renovation of the Bacon Academy stadium field, blockhouse, multipurpose field, softball field, replacement of the currently closed tennis courts, and improved emergency access and ADA pathways. At the Town RecPlex, construction will include new and expanded post-tension concrete pickleball courts, tennis courts, an additional basketball court, renovated bathrooms, concession stand, and new SplashPad.
Check out this rendering from SeaSpray of a similar SplashPad design...Construction will take place over the summer.
Garden Club Volunteers Appreciation
Thank you to Colchester Garden Club members for their work around town this week and throughout the spring. Earlier this week, Garden Club members spent many hours tending to the gardens at the former Senior Center building on Norwich Ave. Today, volunteers assisted with mulching and planting at the Town Green gazebo garden. Thank you to all volunteers who are helping to beautify Colchester, including Katherine Kosiba, Lori Faski, and Jacki Faski for their efforts in partnership with our Colchester Grounds Crew today!
Playground Repairs
Today, playground repairs were completed to the rubber areas at the RecPlex. Thank you to Colchester Parks & Recreation and Colchester Grounds for coordinating this important maintenance.
Help Stamp Out Hunger in Our Community!
The 34th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is happening on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
As the nation’s largest single-day food drive, this incredible effort helps stock local food banks and support neighbors in need. Participating is easy—just leave non-perishable food donations by your mailbox, and your letter carrier will pick them up and deliver them to our local food pantry.
Every donation makes a difference. Let’s come together as a community to help fight hunger—one bag at a time!
Memorial Day Parade
Applications to join the 2026 Memorial Day Parade are available on the Town website. The application form, instructions and the drop off/route map for participants are all available here.
This year's theme is "Colchester Honors 250 Years of Heroes" with prizes awarded for Best Marching Unit, Most Original Theme Float and Most Patriotic Float.
C3 Parent Survey
C3 is looking for your input!
We’d love to hear from you about what families with young children in Colchester need right now. Your feedback will help shape our future programs and advocacy efforts. This survey takes about 10 minutes to complete—thank you for sharing your voice! Colchester Residents Only Please!
All responses must be received by May 12, 2026. Participation is voluntary and all responses will be kept confidential. Data will be used to improve the community's ability to support families with young children.
As a thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, you can enter a drawing to win one of many gift cards to Stop & Shop, ranging from $20 to $60. If you’d like to be included, just provide your contact information in the final question of the survey.
Click here to take the survey: https://forms.gle/uMfGgzgv8jkaYZtz8
Thank you in advance for your time and for sharing your opinions.
Colchester Senior Center Honored
This week, Colchester Senior Center received two Honorable Mentions for the National Council on Aging (NCOA)’s 2025 National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) Program of Excellence Awards. Colchester Senior Center is one of several senior centers that are going above and beyond to provide older adults in their communities with helpful resources and opportunities to prevent social isolation.
“We’re so proud to accept this award honoring the hard work our staff puts in each day to make a difference,” said Director of Senior Services, Patty Watts. “We believe that older adults deserve a place they can feel accepted and empowered, which is why we offer a range of resources and activities, including transportation, Community Café Hot Lunch Program, Meals on Wheels deliveries, public benefits counseling, information and referral resources, health and wellness clinics, meaningful volunteer opportunities and an array of social, educational and recreational programs.”
Colchester Senior Center was recognized in the category of Visibility & Communications for their program “Be Like Bacon” which challenged preconceptions around both aging and the utilization of senior centers; and they were also recognized in the category of Health, Wellness and Nutrition for a yearlong series called “Unleash Your Joy” which explored different ways for people to experience, express and expand their sense of contentment, happiness and joy.
Learn about current and past winners at https://www.ncoa.org/article/nisc-annual-programs-of-excellence.
National Trails Day Events
Colchester is celebrating National Trails Day on Saturday, June 9 with two events! Starting at 9AM volunteers from Casella Waste will be hosting a clean-up event on the Airline Trail, starting with the Lebanon Ave spur.
At 10AM, Colchester Parks & Recreation will also be hosting walking tours of Sablitz Preserve. I’ll be hosting the guided tours that morning and hope to see you there!
Business Spotlight: Glamour and Fragrances
Today we officially welcomed the newest shop on Merchant’s Row across from the Town Green — Glamour and Fragrances — operated by Colchester resident Karen Martinez. This colorful store specializes in perfumes, jewelry, gift bags, accessories, and party supplies. Karen has been selling products online for years and is now opening a brick and mortar storefront here in town.
The Colchester Business Association celebrated the shop opening with a ribbon cutting this morning.
Congratulations to Karen and her family on their grand opening!
Sincerely,
Bernie Dennler
First Selectman
Town of Colchester