TOP STORY: More than 200 Hands Raised at Old Lyme Town Meeting, $45.39 Million Budget Approved at 7.8% Over Current Year

OLD LYME–Record attendance Wednesday night at the rescheduled Town Budget Meeting resulted in the passage of a $45.39 million 2025-26 budget and several new or amended ordinances.

Residents and taxpayers in the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium raised fluorescent green chits in the air to signify their voting status as they approved the budget in a 167 to 40 vote. It represents an increase of $3.28 million, or 7.8% , over the current year.

The vote came amid large-scale renovation projects to the Lymes’ Senior Center and the Region 18 school district drove up the budget, while the recent revaluation drove up property values – and the resulting tax bills – for a majority of homes in town. The Board of Finance was expected after the meeting to set the tax rate at 16.2 mills.

A previous motion to use a paper ballot on all seven questions failed with 87 yea votes and 110 nays.

The five ordinances and a procedural vote to set the billing schedule for property taxes each passed in decisive voice votes.

First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker said no meeting in the last seven years had drawn more than 60 people.

The originally scheduled meeting on May 19 was postponed due to overcapacity at the Town Hall, where fire code allows only 124 people in the meeting room and lobby.

Fire Marshal Dave Roberge on Wednesday said he counted 222 people in the high school auditorium—its capacity is 550 people.

Editor’s Note: Watch for the full story on Thursday.