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Dear Ronni and the We-Ha Editorial Team,

I am a West Hartford resident and taxpayer and have lived in this town for over 30 years. I am writing to share an open letter regarding the proposed $228.2 million Board of Education budget and its impact on our town’s fiscal sustainability.

With a proposed 6.6% increase in school spending following two years of significant tax hikes, I believe it is vital for the community to discuss how we can balance our commitment to education with the financial reality facing our residents – particularly seniors on fixed incomes and young families.

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Dear Members of the Town Council and Board of Education,

I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the proposed $228.2 million Board of Education budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. While I value the quality of our schools, a 6.6% spending increase following two consecutive years of ~5% mill rate hikes, is financially unsustainable for West Hartford residents.

Our community is at a crossroads. My concern is that our budgeting process has become purely “additive.” Each year, we simply layer new contractual raises and rising premiums onto a record-high baseline. While I am sympathetic to the town’s obligations, this trajectory lacks a fiscal cushion for a potential downward shift in the broader economy.

We need a budget that prioritizes stability over expansion.

Furthermore, we must consider our standing relative to our neighbors. West Hartford is becoming a regional tax outlier. Our current mill rate of 44.78 significantly exceeds that of comparable towns like Simsbury (34.16), Avon (30.75), and Farmington (26.62). The human cost is clear: West Hartford’s median tax bill of $9,293 is over $3,000 higher than the state median. In fact, our residents face a heavier relative burden than many in Fairfield County; while a Stamford household pays roughly 5.5% of their income in taxes, the typical West Hartford family pays over 7%.

I respectfully ask the Town Council and Board of Education to collaborate on structural solutions, including:

1. Leveraging Commercial Strength for Resident Relief: With our commercial vacancy rates near historic lows (8% for retail; ~1.5% for industrial), the town is in a position of significant economic strength. This growth should be used as a “tax hedge” for residents – meaning the new revenue from business growth should be used to offset rising town costs and “buy down” the mill rate, rather than simply being treated as a green light for more spending.
2. Economic Realism in Leadership Pay: While our neighbors have seen modest adjustments, West Hartford recently approved a multi-step pay hike for our Town Manager exceeding 8%. Approving such significant increases for top administrators sends a conflicting message during a 6.6% education hike.
3. Strategic Staffing and Enrollment Alignment: West Hartford’s 12:1 student-teacher ratio is lower than the 13:1 or 14:1 ratios in high-performing districts like Avon and Simsbury. As enrollment shifts, we must move toward regional staffing norms through natural attrition to provide relief without mass layoffs.
4. Aggressive Healthcare Cost Containment and Growth Caps: We must pursue regionalized insurance pools to “bend the curve” on 10% premium hikes and identify efficiencies to bring the total appropriation closer to a 3% or 4% growth cap.

What stands out to me in our current fiscal year’s Annual Budget for 2025-2026 are the Six Major Public Policies for the Future (page 1-3). The term “fiscal” is not mentioned in any of these six major policies / focus points. Reflecting on that, perhaps you can find a way to incorporate the term fiscal into one of these existing six major focus points, or possibly find it important enough in becoming one of its own.

A budget is a reflection of a community’s priorities; fiscal stability for its residents must be one of them. We cannot continue to increase the budget and thus the tax burden at this rate without damaging the long-term affordability of our town.

Sincerely,

Jim O’Keefe
West Hartford