About 30 townspeople gathered Monday night to pass the $9.4 million 2026-2027 municipal budget.
The meeting generated little discussion and was completed in about 12 minutes, according to First Selectman Henry Tirrell. “Everything passed,” he reported. “There were a couple of questions about the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) for the school that [Superintendent Kevin Case] explained, and a couple of people wondered about the gas spill settlement—but that was all.”
The MBR requires towns to fund their schools at no less than the previous year. This year, because Botelle School had fewer special education expenses, Norfolk’s budgeted amount was less than in 2024-25. The state Department of Education objected, threatening to withhold future Education Cost Sharing funds.
Case and town officials negotiated a settlement with the state by adding some $58,000 to the current budget to meet the MBR. The money will not be expended and will be returned to the town surplus account at the end of the fiscal year.
Tirrell explained the final settlement for the gas spill, which was set at $585,000 and covered less obvious expenses incurred by the town during the reclamation process. It is in addition to monies the insurance company paid during the actual construction phase.
Tirrell told the audience that part of the settlement will be used to pay legal fees incurred while trying to reach an agreement with the insurance company. The remainder will be budgeted to pay $270,000 for a second plow truck next year and pay $130,000 toward the growing fund for a new fire truck. The fire truck is expected to cost over $1 million dollars.
The Board of Finance did not have a quorum and could not set the mill rate after the meeting. It will meet in special session next Tuesday, May 19.