Protecting Your Wallet. Preserving Your Services. Planning for Tomorrow.

In Rocky Hill, affordability and opportunity are intertwined. Under Mayor Lisa Marotta’s leadership, we’ve weathered unprecedented fiscal pressures while delivering balanced budgets that protect essential services and keep our town one of Connecticut’s most desirable, and affordable, places to live.

Budgeting with Discipline and Purpose

The FY 2025–2026 Town Budget, adopted with near-unanimous bipartisan support (8–1), reflects a commitment to fiscal discipline and community investment:

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 Rocky Hill continues to maintain a competitive mill rate: 30.24

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o Wethersfield 41.22 (property revaluation 2024)

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o Newington 39.98

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o Cromwell 30.79

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 Average grand list growth over the past 10 years: 1.5% (2023 excluded given the unprecedented increase in property values).

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 Strategic 3.6% increase over last year for Board of Education

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We added only what was necessary to maintain excellence, proving we can protect services and your wallet.

Fairer, Smarter, More Equitable Taxation

Mayor Marotta has championed ordinances that make our tax system more transparent, equitable, and supportive of residents, veterans, and local businesses:

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 Standardized personal property valuations for consistency and fairness

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 Tripled property tax relief for 100% disabled veterans

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 Expanded exemptions for farm machinery and buildings, preserving Rocky Hill’s agricultural heritage and boosting future tourism

Meeting Challenges Head-On

In 2023, Rocky Hill underwent a state-mandated property revaluation during a highly competitive housing market. This shifted more of the tax burden from commercial properties to residents. This challenge was compounded by:

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 Growing unfunded and underfunded mandates like PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes), which should deliver $3 million annually, but only provides about one-third

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 New state law that changed how we assess motor vehicles

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 2 large commercial property assessment appeals

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 Current exemptions that decrease revenue

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 No authority (needed from the state) to create alternative streams of revenue

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Despite these pressures, Mayor Marotta and her team’s strategic planning ensured Rocky Hill stayed on solid financial ground and maintained its competitive mill rate.

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Affordability. Accountability. Quality of Life.

Every tax dollar matters. That’s why our budgeting decisions prioritize public safety, education, senior programs, parks, and infrastructure while strengthening Rocky Hill’s long-term fiscal health. We have created an Affordable Housing Commission, expanded housing options, and partnered with our Housing Authority to bring in substantial funding for critical, long-awaited housing rehabilitation.

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In our fourth term, our path is clear:

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 Smarter planning

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 Stronger protections

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 Fairer outcomes for all

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With your support, we’ll continue building a future that’s affordable, resilient, and full of opportunity.

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