A fully costed, non‑partisan plan that folds in every shovel‑ready study the Town already paid for—broadband, trail loops, camp revitalisation—while freezing the mill‑rate, paying living wages, and keeping our woods and fields open.
Key premise: We do not guess. Every dollar here ties to an adopted plan, state/federal grant line, or verified bid from a neighbouring Connecticut town.
1 · Where We Stand
(latest adopted numbers, FY 2025‑26)
| Category | FY 24‑25 Actual | FY 25‑26 Adopted | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (PK‑12 & Region 4) | $21.3 m | $21.8 m | 49 % |
| Town Ops (roads, safety, general gov.) | $10.3 m | $10.7 m | 24 % |
| Fringe benefits | $2.8 m | $3.0 m | 7 % |
| Debt service | $3.4 m | $3.6 m | 8 % |
| Capital & transfers | $4.3 m | $5.4 m | 12 % |
| Total | $42.1 m | $44.5 m | 100 % |
Mill‑rate today: 30.96.
2 · The Five Biggest Pressures (from 2024–25 workshops & YouTube transcripts)
- Road backlog: 18 % of paved miles are “poor,” cost jumps 6× if we wait five years.
- Outsourced cost‑creep: Contract paving now $185/ton vs. $150 in‑house (Branford 2024 audit).
- Debt ceiling: 8 % of budget already goes to bonds; another firehouse could push >10 %.
- Grand‑list flatline: <0.5 % growth; mill complex dormant; camps underused.
- Workforce churn: Dispatch, public works, registrars paid 10–15 % below neighbours; vacancies drive overtime.
3 · Ten‑Year Cash Plan (No New Mill‑Rate Hike)
3.1 Guaranteed Savings & New Revenues
(all figures annual unless noted)
| # | Measure | Start | $ ± /yr | 10‑yr | Source / Status |
| 1 | Bring routine paving & tree back in‑house | 2026 | +180 k | 1.80 m | Branford cost audit, EH equipment quotes in hand |
| 2 | Consolidate Town + BOE software; drop ParentSquare, duplicate HR | 2026 | +150 k | 1.50 m | Killingly 2023 switch saved 17 % |
| 3 | Solar/Battery PPA I (Transfer Station + EHES) | 2027 | +90 k | 0.90 m | Hebron 2022 PPA 8.2¢/kWh |
| 4 | Solar/Battery PPA II (Town Office + PW Barn) | 2029 | +65 k | 0.45 m | Plainfield 2023 data |
| 5 | Cannabis retail (3 % local), one boutique | 2027 | +300 k | 3.00 m | Deep River/Haddam avg. sales ×3 % |
| 6 | Eco‑Resort ground lease (Banner Lodge cluster) | 2028 | +250 k | 1.75 m | Griswold Warbler RFP comps |
| 7 | Mill District redevelopment taxes (50 lofts + flex) | 2030 | +45 k | 0.45 m | Assessor calc @ $15 m AV |
| 8 | USDA ReConnect broadband grant (last‑mile fiber village & camps) – operating surplus to Town | 2028 | +40 k net | 0.32 m | 5 % franchise fee on ISP gross, modelled on Otis MA |
| 9 | Shared services (dispatch & animal control) | 2029 | +100 k | 0.70 m | Lower CT River Valley COG model |
| 10 | Pay‑go rule (<$250 k assets) – interest avoided | 2026 | +50 k | 0.50 m | 3 % bond rate |
| Total improvement | ≈ 1.27 m/yr | ≈ 10.4 m |
3.2 Funding Our Road & Bridge Plan (CIP 2026 Draft)
| Need | Annual $$ | Source |
| Crack‑seal / cape‑seal | 450 k | TAR grant 280 k + cannabis surplus 170 k |
| Overlays (10‑mile cycle) | 550 k | STEAP 300 k + in‑house paving savings 250 k |
| Bridge reserve | 150 k | LOSIP (formula) |
| Equipment replacement | 200 k | Solar PPA surplus 90 k + shared‑service savings 110 k |
Total 1.35 m/yr cash capital – keeps <10 % roads “poor,” zero new bonds.
3.3 Living‑Wage Town Workforce
- Phase‑in catch‑up 10 % over 3 yrs = +220 k/yr by 2029 – fully funded from Items 1 and 2 savings.
- CDL stipend & cross‑training = +25 k, offset by lower contract call‑outs.
4 · Rural‑Friendly Growth Engines Already on File
- USDA ReConnect Fiber Build (2024 feasibility study) – covers Moodus village, mill district, both camps. 90 % grant, 10 % local (in‑kind pole inventory).
Grant window re‑opens Q4 2025. - Mill District Brownfield Assessment (CT DECD app drafted 2023) – $200 k planning grant; qualifies site for $2 m Cleanup.
- Eco‑Resort Concept Plan (UConn Extension 2022) – retrofits Banner Lodge & Shady Brook as 60 cabin eco‑retreat, seasonal restaurant, trail hub; $4.5 m private cap‑ex, Town keeps ground lease.
- Community Broadband Master Plan (Sertex/Wiggio 2021) – 88‑page design, cost‑per‑premise $2,450; fiber pass‑ready conduit at mill and camps.
- Trail‑Loop Signage Package (CT Greenways Grant 2020) – ready‑to‑print QR map panels for Devils Hopyard‑Moodus‑Salmon River loop.
We stop reinventing; we execute what taxpayers already funded.
5 · Mill‑Rate Projection
| Scenario | 2026 | 2028 | 2031 |
| Status‑quo (3.7 % spend growth) | 31.0 | 32.9 | 35.4 |
| Forward Plan | 31.0 | 30.9 | 30.7 |
We hold operating expenses to CPI+1 % while stacking >$1.2 m new annual revenue: mill‑rate edges down despite wage increases and full road funding.
6 · Implementation Calendar (First Term)
| Month | Milestone |
| Dec 2025 | Swear‑in, adopt outsourcing freeze & contract audit. |
| Jan 2026 | File DECD brownfield & USDA ReConnect applications. |
| Apr 2026 | Launch public Budget Dashboard; preview Road Preservation Trust. |
| Jul 2026 | In‑house paving pilot (2‑mile crack‑seal). |
| Oct 2026 | Adopt cannabis ordinance; RFP for boutique store. |
| Jan 2027 | Sign Solar/Battery PPA I. |
| July 2027 | First cannabis tax receipts; Road Trust fully funded. |
| Nov 2027 | Execute eco‑resort ground lease (contingent on zoning). |
7 · Why Both Sides Can Sign On
| Trump‑Lean & Fiscal Hawks | Progressives & Independents |
| Debt down, mill‑rate flat | Living‑wage staff; no classroom cuts |
| Local jobs (in‑house crew, resort) | Climate resilience: solar, no sprawl |
| Energy independence via solar | Broadband equity & affordability |
| Transparency: dashboard & contract calendar | Participatory Budget Night |
Final Word
The money is there. It lives in redundant contracts, under‑used grants, and projects we already designed. By executing—rather than re‑debating—we can pave roads, cut debt, pay our workers properly, and leave the mill‑rate exactly where it is. Rural charm intact, numbers verified, politics optional.
East Haddam Forward: because spreadsheets beat slogans.
Leave a Reply