First Selectman Report

Dear Neighbors,

?It’s been just over 100 days since I took office as First Selectman. We have made consistent progress.

But have I checked everything off my list? Not yet.

Of course, my list is ambitious and I will tell you that the elected and volunteer leaders of our community, along with our Town staff, are working as hard as they ever have to find ways Woodbridge can cut costs and generate more revenue.

?Increasing revenue is critical if we want to continue supporting our top-notch schools, community services, and one of the highest ratios of open space in the state, while also controlling property taxes.

Parts of Town may need to look a little different to make this happen.

But as vintage Town Hall photos of farmland around Amity Road and Litchfield Turnpike remind us, Woodbridge has always been evolving to meet the needs of changing times in our community.

We are committed to ensuring that the activity we bring in makes Woodbridge even more attractive to the families and individuals already here or seeking to call our town home.

Our Taxes

On Thursday, April 25^th, at 7:30 PM in the Center Building Gym, you can participate directly in our Town’s budget process.

We will be conducting our Annual Preliminary Budget Meeting, which provides an opportunity for you to learn more about our Town’s finances and ask questions of the members of the Board of Selectman and Board of Finance. 

Town Department Heads will also be present to answer questions.

To give you a preview of the topline takeaways: We are proposing a 3.60% budget increase, which will result in a 2.71% tax rate increase.

To continue providing the range of excellent services our community expects, without more dramatic increases in taxes, we must cultivate more sources of revenue, including new business, additional housing, and more. 

?At the same time, we are exploring opportunities to reduce energy and solid waste expenses.

Our Schools

Beecher Road School has been a first point of community connection for many of us and serves as a hub for our kids year-round.

This summer the building and grounds will not be accessible as they receive some much-needed maintenance, including replacement of a section of the roof and work to resurface the parking lot, improve drainage, and minimize the impact of our increasing volatile weather.

But the people who make Beecher the special place it is will carry on all regular summer programming in space being provided by the Amity Regional School District.

This work will help get us ready for next year, but it will not address how we effectively accommodate our growing student population.

To develop and implement solutions that will best serve the needs of our young learners for years to come, we have established a new Town Building Committee for Beecher School Infrastructure Upgrades led by Selectperson Maria Madonick.

Its charge is to work with school leadership, community members, and expert advisors to develop a comprehensive space plan that ensures the Woodbridge School District can continue to deliver high-quality education to our children.

Our Business Development

Waiting for businesses to find us will not generate the revenue our Town needs to prosper.

Over the past month, the recharged Economic Development Commission (EDC) has been meeting with REX Development to identify tactics to attract new businesses and retain those already here.

The EDC is also coordinating its efforts with the 2030 Task Force, and we will secure additional outside expertise to support our Town planning work.

The 2030 Task Force work has positioned us for a potential $9M State transportation grant specifically for the Amity Road area of our business district.

?I will keep you updated on the progress of this grant. I have also been meeting with local businesspeople and commercial property owners in that area to understand their priorities and gather their insights related to growth in our business district.  

Our Country Club Property

This summer you will also begin to see some changes on the former Country Club of Woodbridge property, as we remove unused structures.

This will be a modest first step in a long-term process of transforming the property into a community asset.

A less visible but more far-reaching step is our narrowing the list of potential planning advisors on the property’s future and requesting proposal revisions. This is in preparation for a final selection by the Board of Selectman.

?The role of the partner we select will be to establish a comprehensive Master Plan for the property that considers the entire 155 acres and provides a thorough analysis of the potential costs and benefits of all the viable options—from recreation to housing to energy generation to open space.