Cheshire Budget Runs $254,000 Over Levy Limit as Police Rebuild Drives Debate

CHESHIRE — March 27, 2026 — Cheshire's proposed budget runs $254,000 over the levy limit, with a police department rebuild and a 6.1 percent school assessment hike driving the gap. Town Administrator Jennifer Morse walked the Select Board and Finance Committee through the spending plan at the March 27 joint session, noting the town holds approximately $678,000 in certified free cash as a partial buffer. The proposed police department line carries a $115,000 increase to restore a local force with a chief and three full-time officers, compared to an estimated $750,000 startup cost for a merger with Lanesboro. The school district assessment reflects an increase of nearly $197,000. Finance Committee member Ron DeAngelis pressed both boards to weigh the impact on senior residents, citing a November 2025 town census showing more than half of Cheshire's population on fixed incomes. The board unanimously approved a trial four-day, ten-hour workweek for highway employees starting April 1, to be reviewed at the June meeting, and authorized a lease for a new tenant at the former town hall.