We’re in the middle of everyone’s favorite time of year. Budget season! While it might not rank high on your list of favorites, it is one of the most important periods of time in town government. The decisions made about where and how to spend money directly impact each and every homeowner in town. Property taxes are Easton’s revenue stream.

Over the last two weeks, each town department presented its budget to the Board of Finance. The Board of Finance will present the overall budget to the town during the budget public hearing on Monday, March 27^th. The hearing will also include presentations by the Easton Board of Education on its budget as well as the Region 9 Board of Education on the budget for Joel Barlow High School. The public hearing is your chance to speak up, voice your concerns and share your thoughts on the budget as drafted.

The budget to be presented at the public hearing includes about a 4% increase in spending over last year. 

Following the public hearing, the Board of Finance will ask some departments to come back for another meeting. These meetings are where the Board of Finance can make changes to the budget amounts requested. They can vote to reduce spending to specific line items, except when it comes to the education budget. In that case, the Board of Finance votes on a total amount to allocate to the Board of Education. Those sessions determine the final budget amount, which goes before the annual Town Meeting in April and then a referendum on the first Tuesday in May.

It's a lengthy process, but again a very important one. I encourage everyone to come to the public hearing on the 27^th and speak up. Then, come to the annual meeting and vote in the referendum.  

Kristi Sogofsky, Selectman

From Bombay, India, to a company called Brightstar. From mechanics to a master’s degree in marketing. From football to a successful franchise – Pranav Merchant is the portrait of free will, free thinking and freedom itself.

Pranav moved to the United States when he was just eight years old. He was raised in Queens, attended Aviation High School and became a mechanic. He worked the night shift as a certified airplane mechanic in order to pay his way through Hofstra University. At the age of 19, he was nearly selected by the US Department of Defense to work on the B2 Bomber, but instead, he focused on school and earned his bachelor’s degree in information technology – with a minor in economics – and went to work at Wells Fargo. Along the way, he also picked up a passion for playing football. From there, Pranav went on to earn his master’s degree in marketing. 

With all this success, also came great personal loss. Pranav’s mother passed away when he was 11 and his older brother died several years later. Still, this did not deter him from continuing to build his life and his business. He credits his football coach with encouraging him to open his own company, which he did in 2010.

“I believe it is up to us to make our own decisions. It is best when people are free to do what they want to do, so long as they are not breaking the law. No matter what your faith is, there is a higher power.”

Eight years ago, Pranav ‘landed’ in Easton with his wife Sheila and their three children. In selecting a small town, Pranav believed he would also be living in a place with limited government – a notion he laughs at now. He joined the Republican Town Committee in 2022.

“All big government wants is more power. Government restricts free will. They are not as intelligent or more ambitious. They want power. Locally, the issue of zoning is very important to me. I want someone in charge who will focus on keeping Easton small and who will take care of our farms. I want someone who is focused on education as education - and not as a social experiment,” he said.

With a full family and work life, Pranav keeps an array of interests alive. “I like everything” is how he describes his hobbies: skiing, history, astronomy, target shooting and staying in shape. He recently joined the Fairfield County Fish and Game Protective Association.

Does Pranav miss his childhood India? Sure. It should be no surprise that someone who’s worked to build his own American dream can recognize the same trajectory of progress of his home country, particularly in India’s space and medical programs.

“I am an American. I think like an American. But when I feel, I feel through the lens of an Indian.”

Favorite book: A Strange Death of Mistress Coffin

Favorite movie: Casablanca

Personal heroes: Julius Caesar, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson

Bucket list: Japan

In recent weeks, zoning issues have been in the spotlight. In public forums, through Connecticut state congressional testimony and presentations to Easton residents, we're staying on top of land use issues where local control truly matters. We'd like to thank everyone who has spent their time to raise awareness of issues impacting Easton, specifically, how zoning changes could negatively impact the watershed. A great source of information is CT169Strong, whose mission is to inform residents about policy issues and offer ways to get involved. Follow them at: https://ct169strong.org.