May 7, 2026
.com
Madison & Killingworth Vol. XXXI Iss. 19
A New England Newspaper of the Year 2018
Madison Voters Approve $103.7M Budget By Aaron Rubin Staff Writer
Madison taxpayers approved the 20262027 fiscal year budgets for the town and Madison Public Schools at a referendum April 28. Combined, the budgets total $103,760,219 in spending for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The Board of Finance set the new mill rate at 23.06. Voters approved the $36 million town operating budget by a margin of 1,533-1,105 and the $67 million education budget by a margin of 1,611-1,035. Voter turnout was 19.6%, according to the Registrar of Voters. The education budget represents a 4% increase in expenditures, driven primarily by
a “significant” rise in employee health care costs and contractual increases, according to the district. The budget comes as the district has completed paying off debt associated with Daniel Hand High School and continues to rank among the top 10 performing districts in Connecticut based on state See Madison Voters Approve page 6
Dorothy Tolchin is guiding students through an Odyssey of the Mind.....2
Meet Lobzilla
Making a Statement Dave Donahue prepares a 2-foot- Hand freshman Riley Amenta tosses long, 2-pound “Lobzilla” lobster roll a no-hitter....................................15 in the kitchen at Donahue’s Clam Castle in Madison on May 1. The Donahue family, which founded the restaurant in 2014 and sold it in 2023, recently reacquired the seafood spot with co-owner Gulshan Soni, introducing the oversized roll to mark the return.
Photo by Wesley Bunnell/ The Source
45 Island Avenue, Madison $4,000,000
Exceptionally located less than a tenth of a mile from both the town green and beaches, with private beach access, this stunning residence sits on 1.57 secluded acres and has been completely re-imagined with uncompromising attention to detail and the finest materials.
Lots of Laughs Nunsense brings the laughs at Legacy Theatre.............................24
The Walz Team at Coldwell Banker Lorey Walz Meig Walz Newcomb Karen Amlong Lee
203-996-7209 • 203-245-4700 meig.walz@cbmoves.com Integrity. Dedication. Expertise. For all your real estate needs.