Budget season has arrived in Fairfield, and there is a group of residents prepared to meet it head-on.
Fairfield Taxpayer is a "nonpartisan grassroots group of taxpayers who are passionate about preserving Fairfield as a desirable and affordable community for all its residents," according to the Fairfield Taxpayer Facebook page.
After building an online presence through Facebook and Twitter (follow @FairfieldTaxPay), the group has launched a website: http://www.fairfieldtaxpayer.com.
The grassroots group -- comprised of members from "virtually all corners of town," according to the website, was formed during the height of the 2012 budget season to "facilitate an informed decision -- not an argument -- over what we, the town's taxpayers, wanted Fairfield to be in the coming decade."
The goal of Fairfield Taxpayer is for the voices of residents to resonate with other taxpayers and especially with elected officials -- "the folks that we have empowered to make Fairfield the best it can be."
Visitors to the website will find an analysis of Fairfield's school budget compared to other districts; a collection of letters to the editor from Fairfield Taxpayer members; charts depicting taxes on home values, residential spending as a percent of wealth, the rise in state spending over the past two decades; and more.
The launch of the website comes just in time for Fairfield's budget season to heat up. The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt the 2013-2014 school budget tonight and the First Selectman will unveil the town's operating budget in mid-February. A final vote on the budget by the RTM is scheduled for early May.
To become part of Fairfield Taxpayer, either sign up through the website or email FairfieldTaxpayer@gmail.com.
