Don Lowe First Selectman Column 01/05/2026
As I begin my fifth term as your First Selectman, I want to start by wishing all Sherman residents a Happy New Year! I want to thank everyone for all the kindness and well wishes sent my way over the course of 2025. I want to send an extra thanks to all the Sherman volunteers (board and commission members, Fish people, Senior Center volunteers, emergency service personnel, SPTO members, and many many more!) for helping make Sherman such a wonderful place to live.
The primary focus for the Board of Selectmen (BOS) at this time of year is the budget. Over the next three months we will put the 2026/27 budget together and prepare it for a referendum budget vote on May 2. The Board of Education will do the same with the Sherman School budget. The new fiscal year begins on July 1. Prior to that there will be budget workshops, hearings, and Town Meetings to gather input from both the public and from the various financial entities covered within the budget.
Every budget season brings its own set of challenges and I’m sure this year will be no different. The goal is to be as frugal as possible, and yet, to pay for all that the public expects from the Town.
We are fortunate to have Bob Ostrosky and Joel Bruzinski on the BOS. They are both excellent at municipal budgeting and I’m lucky to serve with them. We are also fortunate to have Andrea Maloney as our Town treasurer as she brings tremendous expertise to a spectrum of financial matters. Lastly, I can’t say enough good things about our business manager, Liz LaVia. She is wisely proficient at both day-to-day budgeting as well as long-term financial planning. Many other terrific people are involved in the process, but these four make up what I often refer to as “the team.” They are a pleasure to work with.
Even though the holiday season is past us, there is still plenty to do in Sherman during the winter. Be sure to look over the Websites of the Sherman Library and of the Sherman JCC as both hold an impressive array of events and presentations of all kinds.
A big shout out to our Public Works department for its clearing of our roads from the snowfall. Good job, guys! Yes, it looks like we are going to be having a “real” winter this year. Also, because so many people ask me, to date the Sherman School renovation project is going great. So far, we are still on time and within budget. And all efforts are being made to keep it so.
Happy New Year and Happy Ice Fishing! (Don’t forget to buy your 2026 fishing license!)
