Feb. 3 election will hand Fairfield a budget decision-maker days before FY2027 rollout

Voters choose a First Selectperson on Tuesday as the town enters the final setup phase of budget season.

Why it matters: The winner will immediately shape the FY2027 budget proposal and the mill-rate path that follows revaluation.

Fairfield voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, to elect a First Selectperson, with early voting concluding on Feb. 1. The timing places the election just days before the town is expected to introduce its proposed FY2027 budget.

The First Selectperson is responsible for presenting the budget to the Board of Selectmen and guiding it through review by the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting. With the election now days away, the transition from campaigning to governing will be immediate.

Town materials indicate that a proposed budget is expected in late February, followed by public hearings and votes extending into the spring. Those steps will determine the mill rate after Fairfield’s 2025 property revaluation shifted assessed values across the town.

While assessments establish relative property values, the budget and mill rate convert those values into actual tax bills. The incoming First Selectperson will oversee that translation from the outset. For residents, the practical consequence of the Feb. 3 election is straightforward: who sets fiscal priorities, how spending is framed, and how clearly town leadership explains the link between revaluation and taxes in the weeks ahead.

Sources: Town of Fairfield; local reporting.