Fairfield budget calendar moves from outline to execution phase

Public hearings and votes scheduled from late February through May define when fiscal decisions become final.

Why it matters:
These dates mark when residents can still influence spending before the mill rate is locked in.

Fairfield’s FY2027 budget calendar has entered its execution phase, with the town preparing to move from scheduling to substantive review.

Town materials show that a proposed budget is expected in late February, followed by public hearings in the final week of the month. The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to act on the proposal in early March before forwarding it to the Board of Finance.

The Board of Finance is expected to hold hearings in March, with a vote later that month. The budget then advances to the Representative Town Meeting, where hearings and a final vote are scheduled for April and early May. The mill rate is expected to be set shortly afterward.

This sequence establishes when fiscal choices narrow and when changes become harder to make. Early hearings typically provide the most opportunity for public input, while later stages focus on adoption rather than revision.

The calendar also overlaps with the revaluation appeal process now underway. As appeals are filed and reviewed in February and March, budget deliberations will determine how the adjusted grand list translates into tax bills.

For residents tracking town finances, the calendar is more than procedural. It is the roadmap for when spending decisions are made—and when they are no longer negotiable.

Sources: Town of Fairfield; local reporting.