A new data-driven playbook takes shape
With new Democratic leadership, the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Budget Committee is beginning to look and operate very differently. Under Chair Laura Erickson and member Doug Fenton, the committee has adopted a more efficient, data-driven approach to municipal finance—one that emphasizes proactive analysis and collaboration, rather than the reactive and often partisan budget fights that have too often characterized the past.
A more serious, more prepared budget process
At the center of this shift is a new “questions-in-advance” protocol. Instead of using public hearings as the first moment to raise concerns, committee members are digging into department budgets ahead of time. Detailed technical and policy questions are sent to department heads in advance, allowing public sessions to focus less on basic fact-finding and more on priorities and long-term planning.
With this approach, the committee is able to make public sessions more focused and substantive, rather than spending valuable meeting time on basic clarification.
That may sound procedural, but it represents a meaningful change. Better preparation means better scrutiny and more productive hearings. With budget decisions shaping everything from infrastructure to school investment, that matters.
The budget committee held six days of hearings and eliminated the Consolidation Day, a streamlined process lasting 3.5 days less than last year’s. Erickson reflects, “I am very pleased with where we are. The business of voting on Decision Day was completed in a three hour meeting, which might be unprecedented.”
A more collaborative committee
The new leadership has also placed a premium on professionalism and collegiality. This year’s process has made clear that input from all members is being taken seriously, as evidenced in the votes taken on Decision Day.
That is important for public confidence in the budget itself. A budget produced through thoughtful collaboration carries more legitimacy and reflects community priorities more than one driven by a partisan tie-breaking vote.
“This budget season was the first step on a productive and iterative path,” notes Doug Fenton. Fenton brought a disciplined approach and a deep understanding of fiscal responsibility to the process, stemming from his 20 years of experience in finance, including 16 years as a partner at a Tiger Cub hedge fund. “With our talented town departments, we are identifying opportunities for process improvements and efficiencies that will protect and enhance the services we cherish, while keeping our taxes low,” he observes.
Looking at both sides of the ledger
Just as important, this year’s committee is not treating budgeting as an exercise in cuts alone. The committee is actively identifying areas where fee structures haven’t been updated in years or, in some cases, decades, while also analyzing the performance of town-run enterprise funds to ensure we are not missing any revenue opportunities.
That broader perspective reflects a more strategic understanding of municipal finance. Greenwich cannot preserve services, invest in schools and infrastructure, and protect taxpayers by looking at only half the income statement. By approaching the town’s finances from both the revenue and expenditure sides, the committee is working to minimize the mill rate while still supporting essential long-term investments in infrastructure and schools.
Neighborhood voices: Old Greenwich
Carolyn E. Petersen, president of the Old Greenwich Association, recently answered our questions about the latest issues concerning residents in her neighborhood.
What is the single most urgent concern your members are talking about right now? Why?
Traffic safety has always been a very important concern in Old Greenwich, below the Post Road. Compared to elsewhere in Greenwich, we have both the greatest density as well as the greatest amount of pedestrians, along with bikers and runners. The addition of more sidewalks has been well received. The Old Greenwich School PTA has also launched a new initiative—“Gear Up OGS”—to help get cars off the road and make the trip to and from school safe.
What two or three additional issues consistently come up in your meetings or communications?
Of course, residents are always concerned about flooding and drainage. Hurricane Ida was significant all over Greenwich, but it was absolutely a big issue in Old Greenwich. An imminent concern is the location of the Old Greenwich Farmers Market, as it has to move out of its current location after 15 years. There is hope that there is an opportunity for it to find a new home at the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center.
How do you think town leaders could make the biggest practical difference for your neighborhood in the next 6–12 months?
Part of the Old Greenwich Association’s mission is to foster a positive relationship with town leaders and representatives by offering an opportunity to present and have a dialogue, particularly at our annual meeting, and we hope that continues.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of an occasional series highlighting key concerns in Greenwich neighborhoods.
What we’re reading
In this editorial, Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group, explains how tensions in the Strait of Hormuz can lead to higher prices in CT for fuel, food and travel costs. It’s not just the conflict that’s inflating prices, Cameron explains. Insurers have dramatically raised war-risk premiums for oil tankers, making it cheaper for ships to sit idle than risk transit. “When Hormuz sneezes, the global economy doesn’t just catch a cold; it ends up in the ER with a stack of unpaid bills and a lecture from the IMF,” writes Cameron.
Action Calendar
March. Enroll.
The new Central Middle School is continuing open enrollmentfor 6th, 7th and 8th graders who live in households zoned for Eastern and Western Middle Schools. Open enrollment closes Friday, April 3, at midnight.
March 12. Comment.
Review the draft Safety Action Plan, learn about the proposed priority safety project list, and share feedback that will help shape better roadway safety in town at the next public meeting for Safe Streets Greenwich, hosted by the Department of Public Works. 6 p.m., Cone Room, Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.
March 22. Parade.
March with the Democrats in the Greenwich Avenue St. Patrick’s Parade. Gather before the parade at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road. Look for our banner.
March 25. Participate.
The Democratic Town Committee (DTC) will elect delegates to four upcoming state political conventions. Delegates will vote at the conventions for candidates to run in the November elections. To be eligible to become a delegate you must be a Democrat registered to vote in Greenwich. 7:30 p.m., Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.
| Volume 4, Number 37 • March 12, 2026 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |