V.
RESIDENT & PROPERTY OWNERS (COMMENTS LIMITED TO THREE (3)
MINUTES
Mr. Brandon Graber, 42 Church Hill Road, Ledyard addressed the State's approved budget
which included Supplemental Funding for Ledyard to help provide relief on their tax base.
He stated Ledyard would be receiving an additional $481,30 in Supplemental Education Aid
Funding, noting that the State used a formula to delineate Board of Education money versus
Town money. He stated although there were no guidelines on how towns could use the
additional supplemental funding that he hoped the Town Council would honor the State’s
calculation, noting that there was a reason there was a certain amount of money for the Board
of Education and a certain amount of money for the General Government. He stated that the
money have a divider in how much of the money would be used on which side of the fence.
Mr. Brandon Sabbag, 16 Nutmeg Drive, Gales Ferry, stated he watched the Finance
Committee's May 6, 2026 meeting during which they discussed a plan on how to use the
additional $2,185,138 in State Revenues (Supplemental Education Aid $481,304; and
Supplemental Pequot-Mohegan $1,703,834). He noted the Finance Committee’s plan
included reducing the amount of revenue that was supposed to come from the Mill Rate
Stabilization Fund; and to use the remainder of the funding bring the Fiscal Year 2026/2027
to the adjusted/equalized Mill Rate. He stated that he would prefer to the see all of the
additional $2,185,138 be used to reduce the Mill Rate for the Fiscal Year 2026/2027.
Mr. Sabbag went on to note last year a significant number of residents shot the Fiscal Year
2025/2026 Budget down because they knew they would see the highest tax increase in over a
decade. He went on to note in preparing the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget that
the Town Council unanimously approved to use $1.8 million out of the Mill Rate
Stabilization Fund. He stated based on his quick math that if the Town put 100% of
additional $2,185,138 revenue coming the State toward lowering the mill rate and lowering
the taxes, that the average family would save about $470 over the course of the upcoming
year, based on the value of their home. He stated there has been some conversation about
using the additional $2,185,138 state revenue to bring the mill rate increase down to a net
neutral level. However, he stated the Town may run into another “No Vote” this year,
commenting that a lot of people saw their taxes go up high with the current year’s budget and
with the 2025 Revaluation they were going to see a tax increase. He addressed the use of the
Mill Rate Stabilization Fund in previous year's budgets to help stabilize the mill rate
increase, noting that there were multiple years that although they budgeted using the Mill
Rate Stabilization Fund that they did not have to use those revenues. He suggested the Town
Council lower the taxes, and make their town more affordable. He stated by using the full
$2,185,138 of state revenue to lower the mill rate that it would be going toward both the
Board of Education side of the budget and the Town side of the budget. He stated the Town
Council has already approved a budget to send to the Townspeople to vote on, noting that
during their Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget presentation that the Board of Education
Members said that they were happy with their proposed budget. He stated if the Town
Council would use the full $2,185,138 of state revenue to lower the mill rate the he thought
they would get a “Yes Vote” at the May 19, 2026 Budget Referendum; and they would gain
respect from the Townspeople, then the previous Town Council did. He concluded his
comments by stating the Town Council should take the full 2,185,138 of state revenue and
