Cromwell Council trims Public Works budget, continues capital review to second day
Town Council · Meeting of March 3, 2026
Cromwell Town Council opens budget workshop with unanimous Public Works cuts and documentation demands. Meeting as a budget workshop Tuesday, the seven-member council, led by Mayor James Demetriades, worked through the Public Works Department's roughly $5.39 million proposed budget, voting unanimously to reduce the solid waste division's contracted-services line to $232,647, approximately $29,000 below the original request, on the grounds that the town faces a structural shortfall of up to $1.5 million tied to a forthcoming middle school project. Council Member Al Waters pressed Public Works Director Lou Spina to add green warning lights to bucket trucks, saying "if it could save one injury or one life, it's worth it." Members also demanded annual contracted-services breakdowns for a $285,000 highway line and flagged missing bid documentation in the vehicle maintenance and parks divisions.
The session adjourned at 6:54 p.m. with 19 capital non-recurring items and the police department budget carried to Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. continuation.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 947 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of March 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Middlesex County CT News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news