Wilton residents will be asked to vote on a 2026 budget that could see a 5.2% increase in operating costs over the previous year.
The Select Board and Budget Committee held a joint public hearing at the Town Hall Tuesday to outline the proposed budget for 2026, with operating costs for the year expected to be $7,165,544.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, Wilton residents were given the full list of items budgeted for the year. Outside of the 5.2% increase in the operating budget from the $6.8 million allocated in 2025, a number of reductions and increases are on the proposal.
The largest proposed increases are for the financial administration and the Ambulance Service.
The proposed budget for financial administration would increase from $294,052 to $357,389, or by 21.54% from 2025 to 2026.
The money budgeted for Wilton’s Ambulance Service is proposed to increase by 20.4%. In 2025 the town budgeted $808,139, a figure that would rise to $972,981 in 2026. Equipment and vehicle leasing will be the greatest contributor. In 2025, the town budgeted $23,000 for the equipment and vehicle leasing line item. For the current year, $126,898 is proposed.
Other notable increases include Election and Vital Stats which is money used for voter registration and associated election activities, as well as Community Development.
The town slightly overspent on the Election and Vital Stats budget, having spent $217,772 on a budget of $217,133. However, it has allocated an additional $33,264, bringing the proposed amount for 2026 to $250,397, an increase of 15.32%.
Community Development had $133,356 budgeted for 2025. This year it’s increasing by 10.4%, making the 2026 proposal $147,231.
Wilton’s budget proposal also has reductions from the previous year. The most notable reduction is in the total budget for the major line item labeled Town Executive, which encompasses the town administration, town meeting, the Select Board and additional boards and committees.
In 2025, the town budgeted $299,918 for the Town Executive line item. The new proposal reduces it by $18,905 to $281,013 for 2026, a 6.3% decrease. A contributing factor to the reduction is the $20,004 decrease in the town administration’s budget, which is impacted most heavily by the line item listed as “TA Other Professional Services.”
The only major line item on the budget proposal not expected to change is Total Legal Expense. In 2025, $45,000 was allocated to the legal expense budget, the same value proposed for 2026.
According to the budget proposal, Wilton went over budget on a few major line items. The greatest over expenditure was from the Recycling Center.
The town budgeted $767,944 for recycling expenses in 2025. This included Recycling Center Disposal and Removal Fees, Recycling Center Capital Expenses, and Recycling Building and Site Expenses. It ended up going $157,500 over budget, or 20.51% beyond the set amount.
The proposed Recycling Center Expense budget for 2026 is $812,164, a 5.76% increase from 2025.
For the line item Highway and Streets, the town budgeted $1,458,154 in 2025. Its total expenditure for the year was $1,511,607, or 3.67% over budget.
Major items included in Highway and Streets are Stormwater Management, Winter Maintenance and Hydrants, and Street Lights. All three line items went over budget in 2025, with Storm Water Management having the greatest over expenditure. There was $31,599 budgeted for the line item, but $44,896 was spent, or 42.08% over budget.
The proposed budget for the Highway and Streets line item in 2026 was raised by 11.4% to $1,618,692, a $160,538 increase.
Another area where the town went over budget was the major line item for Total Personnel Administration, which covers town employee health benefits, unemployment compensation, worker’s compensation and payroll services. The town budgeted $560,213 for this line item in 2025. It spent $573,092, a 2.3% over expenditure. For 2026, the town proposed raising the budget by $42,481 bringing it to $602,694, a 7.58% increase.
Wilton residents will have the opportunity to vote on the budget at the annual town meeting in March.