Three Issues That Will Define Greenwich

May 8, 2026

Welcome back, Greenwich Republicans.

This week we are zeroing in on three fronts where the work happening right now will shape Greenwich for years to come: the BET, the Board of Education, and the truth about the mill rate.

Each one matters. Each one demands serious Republican leadership. And one of them — the lawsuit looming over the Board of Education for sixteen months and counting — can be ended this week if Democratic Board members are willing to do the right thing.

On the BET, the Democrat-led majority has just proposed the largest tax increase in dollar terms ever advanced in the Town of Greenwich. The proposed FY27 budget requires $468 million in property tax collections — an annual increase of more than 5.4%, or $23.8 million. Mill rate or no, Greenwich families are about to feel it. Our six Republican BET members fought hard for every measure of relief they could deliver. With a Republican majority, they could have done much more.

On the Board of Education, the lawsuit that began with a disputed October 2024 "emergency" meeting has now shifted focus. After the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission unanimously invalidated that meeting, the case has moved on to broader questions surrounding compliance with Section 235 of the Greenwich Town Charter — and whether outside counsel was properly retained. The current Board Chair has reportedly directed the firm to cease activity. The litigation has continued. The Charter was written to prevent exactly this kind of taxpayer-funded standoff between Town entities, and that is what is now being tested.

Do not be fooled by Town Hall officials celebrating the lowest mill rate in Connecticut. The mill rate is not the number that shows up on your tax bill. Total tax collections are. And those collections are headed to a record $468 million this year — driven by a 25.3% jump in the Grand List that has Greenwich homeowners staring down meaningfully higher bills. We will keep pointing at the right number, no matter how hard the majority works to misdirect you.

Read the full stories below.

Greenwich is worth fighting for. Let us get to work.

Sincerely,

Greenwich Republicans

Lead Story

The Largest Tax Increase in Greenwich History

May 8, 2026

$468M

Tax Collection

+5.4%

Annual Increase

+$23.8M

Largest Ever

"The Democrat-led BET has just proposed the largest tax increase in dollar terms ever advanced in the Town of Greenwich."

For only the second time in a century, Democrats hold the majority on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. The proposed FY27 budget requires $468 million in property tax collections — an annual increase of more than 5.4%, or $23.8 million. That is the largest dollar increase ever proposed by the BET, and likely the largest percentage increase in many decades.

The mill rate may have come down, but only because the Grand List rose 25.3% in this revaluation year. Many Greenwich families are about to open a tax bill that is meaningfully higher than last year's.

Read the Full Report >>

From Around Town

§ 235

Town Charter

Board of Education

Greenwich BOE Lawsuit Shifts Focus to Charter Authority and Outside Counsel

The long-running lawsuit surrounding a vacancy appointment to the Greenwich Board of Education evolved significantly after a unanimous Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission ruling invalidated the October 21, 2024 "emergency" meeting at which Democratic members voted to appoint Jennifer Behette to a Republican vacancy. While the original dispute centered on that emergency meeting, the case now appears increasingly focused on the continued involvement of outside legal counsel and broader questions surrounding compliance with Section 235 of the Greenwich Town Charter. Questions have been raised regarding whether then-Acting Chair Karen Hirsh had authority to retain outside counsel and obligate the Town for legal expenses without authorization from the Town Attorney, as contemplated under the Charter. Current Board Chair Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony has reportedly directed the firm to cease litigation activities. However, the litigation has reportedly continued, while several Democratic members continue to support the firm's involvement. Supporters of the Town Charter argue that Section 235 exists specifically to prevent separate Town boards from independently retaining counsel and engaging in taxpayer-funded litigation against one another.

Read the Full Story >>

10.125

Mill Rate

Policy Spotlight

Why Property Taxes Per Capita Matter Much More Than the Mill Rate

Greenwich's Grand List rose 25.3% this year to $46.2 billion — the largest of any municipality in Connecticut by a wide margin. As a result, the Board of Estimate and Taxation has proposed lowering the mill rate from 12.041 to 10.125. Some have celebrated this as the lowest mill rate in the State. That should not be the headline. Mill rates are often treated as the primary measure of a town's tax burden, and a lower rate can create the impression of fiscal restraint. That focus, however, misses the more important reality: what residents actually pay. The proposed mill rate is expected to generate approximately $468 million in property taxes — a record annual increase of more than 5.4%, or $23.8 million. Residents do not pay mill rates. They pay dollars. And it is those dollars, measured per person, that define the true cost of living in a community.

Read the Full Story >>