10/13/2026
A Statement on Thompson’s Fourth Budget Referendum
Andrew Irby | Chairman, Thompson Democratic Town Committee
As we approach our fourth budget referendum here in Thompson, Connecticut, I believe it’s time for an honest conversation about where we are as a community, what we value, and what kind of future we want for our town.
Let me begin with a few facts.
Thompson’s mill rate currently stands at 19.68, among the lowest municipal rates in Windham County and approximately 7.8 mills below Connecticut’s statewide median.
And yet, here we are, preparing for our fourth budget referendum.
I understand that affordability is at the top of everyone’s mind. It certainly is at the top of mine. Groceries, utilities, fuel, insurance, and nearly every other necessity have become more expensive. For residents living on fixed incomes, these increases can be particularly difficult.
But I want to ask everyone to consider something.
How have you managed those rising costs in your own household?
Have you adjusted your spending? Changed your priorities? Found ways to stretch your dollars further while still making sure your basic needs are met?
And that is precisely the challenge facing our municipality.
Our town is not immune to inflation. Our schools are not immune to rising operational costs. Our infrastructure does not become less expensive to maintain simply because we delay addressing it.
Nobody wants to pay more in taxes simply for the sake of paying more. I certainly don’t. But there is a difference between unnecessary spending and the responsible funding required to keep a municipality functioning.
From my perspective, what is being proposed is not some extravagant vision of municipal expansion. It is an effort to fund the essential operations of our town.
And that brings me to another concern: infrastructure.
We have significant repairs and maintenance needs throughout Thompson. While bonding has been approved, the anticipated funding and work will not arrive this year, meaning important projects will continue waiting.
Think about your own vehicle for a moment.
When it needs an oil change, new brakes, or a necessary repair, you understand that postponing maintenance can eventually lead to a much larger expense. You make those repairs because your vehicle is essential to your daily life.
Why should we approach the maintenance and operation of our town any differently?
At what point does the long-term health and survival of Thompson become as important as the things we maintain in our own homes and driveways?
I frequently hear residents express how much they love Thompson. I believe they mean it. I love this community, too.
But loving a community means acknowledging both its strengths and its challenges.
And one of the most frequently discussed challenges is our public school system.
I hear the concerns about enrollment, building size, staffing, and per-pupil expenditures. These are legitimate subjects for discussion, and they deserve thoughtful examination.
I have personally expressed that regionalization may be a viable long-term solution worth exploring. But getting there requires serious conversations, professional expertise, cooperation with neighboring communities, and an understanding of the educational and financial implications.
I am not an education professional, nor do I pretend to be one. I believe those who have dedicated decades to education should play a central role in determining the most appropriate path forward.
What I do understand is that a public school’s responsibility is to educate the students it serves, not to independently control the population or enrollment trends of the community around it.
Yes, we have a large school facility. Yes, maintaining that facility and providing qualified staff creates significant overhead. And yes, when enrollment declines, per-pupil expenditures can increase.
But higher per-pupil spending does not, by itself, establish that an educational system is failing.
We must also consider educational outcomes, student opportunities, available programs, and the successes being achieved within our classrooms.
Our schools have worked to highlight student accomplishments, academic performance, and the programs available to our young people. Those efforts deserve recognition, just as areas needing improvement deserve attention.
We should be asking how to build upon those opportunities rather than allowing the entire conversation surrounding education in Thompson to become focused exclusively on its cost.
I am particularly concerned about the potential consequences of another failed referendum.
There have been extensive discussions about reductions that may become necessary if a budget cannot be approved. These are not threats. They are the potential operational consequences of continued budget uncertainty and reduced funding.
And while some may welcome additional reductions in spending, we must also be willing to discuss what those reductions actually mean.
What services might be affected? What educational opportunities could be reduced? What maintenance will be delayed? And what will the long-term consequences be for the residents who depend on these services?
A reduction in a budget is not automatically a reduction in the needs of the community.
There is another issue I believe deserves our attention, and that is how we represent Thompson to the outside world.
I regularly see negative conversations about our schools and our town circulating online.
I respect everyone’s right to question decisions, criticize policies, and demand accountability. Those are essential parts of a healthy community.
But I also ask residents to consider how those conversations are perceived by people who do not already live here.
Imagine being a young family considering a move to Thompson.
Imagine researching our community, exploring our schools, looking at the programs available to your children, and then encountering repeated public comments suggesting that our schools are nothing more than a financial burden.
What impression would that leave?
We talk frequently about attracting new families, growing our tax base, supporting local businesses, and encouraging investment.
But those goals require more than simply wishing for growth.
They require us to become advocates for our own community.
Our schools can promote their programs. Our town can promote its resources. Our businesses can promote their services.
But ultimately, the reputation of Thompson is also shaped by the people who call it home.
That responsibility belongs to all of us.
As we head into Wednesday’s referendum, I encourage everyone to carefully consider the information available, understand what is being proposed, and evaluate the consequences of both approving and rejecting the budget.
You do not have to agree with every decision made by our municipal leaders or our Board of Education. I certainly don’t agree with every decision myself.
Questioning government is healthy. Demanding transparency is healthy. Holding elected officials accountable is healthy.
But those conversations should also include an honest acknowledgment of what it costs to operate a municipality and what happens when essential needs are repeatedly deferred.
We cannot expect yesterday’s costs to sustain tomorrow’s services.
We cannot expect infrastructure to maintain itself.
We cannot expect educational opportunities to expand without the resources necessary to support them.
And we cannot expect Thompson to attract families, businesses, and investment if we are unwilling to have serious conversations about the community we want to become.
I believe in Thompson. I believe in our residents, our schools, our businesses, and the potential that exists within this community.
I also believe we can disagree respectfully while recognizing that we share a common interest in Thompson’s future.
Our responsibility is not simply to preserve the Thompson of yesterday. It is to ensure that the Thompson of tomorrow remains a community where people can afford to live, families want to settle, businesses want to invest, and our children have opportunities to succeed.
That requires fiscal responsibility, thoughtful planning, honest conversations, and a willingness to address the needs of our community.
As we approach this fourth referendum, I hope we will consider not only what the proposed budget costs today, but also what our decisions mean for Thompson in the years ahead.
Because caring about our community is more than something we say.
It is something we demonstrate through the decisions we make about its future.
Andrew Irby
Chairman
Thompson Democratic Town Committee
