Windsor Republicans

Vote NO on the town budget and NO on the Broad Street Road Diet
TODAY May 12th 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Every Vote Will Count!

Find your polling location here. Polls will be open for voting until 8:00 PM tonight.

Ron Eleveld

A Message from WRTC Chairman Ron Eleveld

Windsor Needs Accountability, Not Assumptions — Vote NO on May 12
On Tuesday, May 12, Windsor voters will decide two major questions that will shape our town’s finances and the future of Broad Street: the 2026–27 Town Budget and the Broad Street Road Diet.
These decisions matter. They determine whether Windsor demands transparency, fiscal discipline, and real‑world evidence before spending taxpayer dollars.
For both questions, I believe the responsible choice is to vote NO.
1. A Budget That Outpaces Residents’ Realities
This year’s proposed budget increases spending by nearly 5%. For many Windsor families, that number is simply unrealistic. Residents tell me their incomes are rising by 2–3% at best, yet the town is asking them to shoulder a budget that grows faster than their paychecks.
Republicans proposed a reasonable alternative: a $1.5 million reduction, shared proportionally between Town Government and the Board of Education, keeping the increase under 4%. The majority party rejected it.
Meanwhile, the Board of Education is adding nearly 20 new positions, resulting in a net increase of 16 employees, even as student enrollment continues to decline. That mismatch alone should concern taxpayers.
To soften the tax impact, Republicans supported a balanced approach--modest spending reductions plus limited use of the Rainy‑Day Fund. Instead, the majority relied entirely on taking $2 million from the fund. That choice creates a built‑in tax increase of about 1.5% next year, when that cushion disappears.
If your income rose 5%, maybe this wouldn’t worry you. But most Windsor residents are not seeing raises anywhere near that. A budget that grows faster than the community’s ability to pay is not sustainable.
A NO vote tells town leadership that Windsor needs a budget grounded in economic reality—not assumptions.
2. The Road Diet: A Costly Gamble
The second question asks voters to approve funding for the Broad Street Road Diet. Supporters highlight federal and state contributions, but any cost overruns fall directly on Windsor taxpayers. And overruns are not rare—they are common.
From the start, I’ve urged a simple, practical step: re‑line the road first and see how it functions before spending millions. This is not radical—it’s responsible.
Windsor tried a similar configuration in the 1990s, and residents who remember it describe the results as poor, even disastrous.
There are additional concerns:

Narrowing Broad Street to one lane does not guarantee slower traffic. On other roads, it has actually increased speeds.
Hundreds of new apartment units will soon add daily traffic to Broad Street, yet those vehicles were not included in the traffic studies because construction wasn’t complete at the time.
Reduced on street parking the Town Green side of Broad Street currently allows parking, the plan offered removes that parking.

Last year, voters rejected this project. Bringing it back without addressing these issues ignores the will of the community. A second NO vote reinforces what residents have already said. This time, the message needs to be unmistakable.
Your Vote Matters
On May 12, I urge you to vote NO on both the Town Budget and the Road Diet. Send a clear message on both questions.
P.S. As of now, we expect some state funds, but we still don’t know how they can be used—another reason to reject the budget until we have clarity.

Look up your property tax increase here. Look up your motor vehicle tax increase here. Get a printable flyer of QR codes here.
VOTE NO MAY 12th ON BOTH QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT!

The Broad Street Road Diet Plan

The current four lanes of traffic on Broad Street will be reduced to one lane of travel in each direction. Existing medians are going to be shortened to create new turning lanes, new medians will be added down the center of Broad Street, bumpouts are going to be placed on some of the intersection corners, and bike lanes will be added to both sides of Broad Street. On the west side of Broad Street the bike lane will be located between the southbound moving traffic and the parallel parking spaces. The alleyways in between the buildings on the far north end of Broad Street that permit access to the parking lot behind them will be closed. Parallel parking spaces will line the west side of Broad Street down to Sycamore Street and there will be new parallel parking spaces near Saint Gabriel Church on the east side of Broad Street. The total number of on street parking spaces is 35. Some of the new parking spaces on the west side of Broad Street will be paved with brick. There will be no parking spaces on the west side of the Town Green. (Which is the northbound, east side of Broad Street.) Easily dropping off passengers, tents, or equipment for events like the Chili Challenge along that side of the Town Green will be impacted with the narrowing of the road and the addition of the bike lane. Food trucks will no longer be able to park along there during certain events either. Blocking a dedicated bike lane is against the law in CT and people who do are subject to fines and liability.
Line striping, median maintenance, and snow removal from the parking spaces will be the responsibility of the Town. Since Broad Street is a state highway, they are responsible for plowing the snow from the main thoroughfare. The CT DOT has approved modifying instead of replacing the traffic lights.

Enlarged Sections of the Broad Street Road Diet Plan (Click to open in new window.)

A map legend to clarify the colors and symbols in the Road Diet design was requested of the Town Engineer. Unfortunately that has not been made available.

North End Up Poquonock Ave

Main Intersection

Either Side of Maple Ave

Elm to Geisslers

Batchelder Road

Dom's to St Gabriel Church

South End

Some Objections to the Broad Street Road Diet:

The majority of Windsor voters voted against it last year.
Traffic will detour into quiet neighborhoods to avoid it.
Traffic exiting Interstate 91 due to an accident will take longer to clear out and will compromise emergency response times.
The current design's road width is not suitable for fire trucks.
The new parking spaces along Broad Street will be filled by Founder's Square residents because that complex was built with inadequate parking.
It makes no sense to alter Broad Street until ALL the new apartments and the empty retail and restaurant spaces in downtown are filled. (1200 new apartments in other parts of Windsor are in the planning stages too.)
The 2014 Transit Oriented Master Plan that recommended having a Road Diet imposed on downtown assumed that Windsor would already have a new Amtrak station up and running. And a new municipal parking garage. And lots of other amenities like retail and restaurants drawing visitors in to Windsor Center.
Speeding and reckless driving is a problem that needs to be addressed throughout Windsor, not just where Poquonock, Palisado and Broad Street meet. Windsor used to have a reputation for vigilant law enforcement. Recreating that should be a top priority.
With a new dedicated bike lane installed along Town Green, parking beside the Green will be forbidden by CT state law. (No more Shad Derby food trucks. No more temporary unloading for the Chili Fest or other events.) By CT state law, vehicle owners who obstruct dedicated bike lines are liable when bikes have accidents avoiding them.
The new bike lane on the west side of Broad Street is located between moving traffic and parallel parking. That is unsafe. Bike lanes should be located between the parking spots and the sidewalk, away from moving traffic.
The $3 million dollar Federal grant is a "reimbursable" grant. That means that Windsor has to cover costs up front and then submit receipts to the Federal government to be paid back. (There have been instances where the Federal government has refused to pay.)
Broad Street used to be two single lanes. Two lanes were added to facilitate traffic flow in the 1980s. If the Road Diet is approved and Broad Street goes back to being two single lanes, a proposal will inevitably be made to widen it again after a while- and not with "free" grant money, but at Windsor taxpayer's expense.
At the Special Meeting on April 28th it became apparent that Windsor residents know what changes are needed to make the Broad Street area safer and more accommodating for all without removing traffic lanes and adding new medians. An entirely new plan to address speeding and reckless driving in Windsor should be made. It should use our ideas, not trendy and pretty road designs made by strangers based on 15-20 year projections that supposedly work in other locations. With its three state highways, six exits off Interstate 91 and the one exit off Interstate 291, Windsor is unique. It needs a unique solution. Town Hall needs to collect suggestions from Windsor residents, go back to the drawing board, and come up with a plan that we can all approve -and what's more- make one that we would be willing to spend our own money on. This "Let's do this now because we paid for a Plan and the money is free!" sentiment will have serious consequences later. Everyone must beware of sunk cost fallacies, and of the unintended consequences that inevitably come from outsourcing a job that you should have done yourself.

Serve Your Community

The Town of Windsor has more than 20 Boards and Commissions which determine how our tax money is spent and how things are managed and done in Windsor. We need Republican voices and values in those Board and Commission positions! Please consider applying for a Board or Commission seat to help make Windsor a vibrant and affordable town for everyone!

Attend our Republican Town Committee meetings

The WRTC meets in the Town Council chambers on the third Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM. This is the best way to get connected with other Windsor Republicans and become informed about what's going on in our town government. Everyone is welcome! You don't have to be a WRTC committee member or even a registered Republican to attend.
The WRTC meetings are informative and surprisingly lively. Members provide reports on the latest activities of the organizations within our town government such as the Town Council, the Board of Education and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Issues are raised and discussed.
Current exceptions: None! Our next meeting is on May 21st at 7:00 PM.

Socialize Informally

We meet for brunch on the 2nd Saturday of most months at 10:00 AM at Airway Restaurant located at 541 Spring Street in Windsor Locks. We especially welcome new-comers who join us at this informal gathering.
Please email [email protected] to reserve your seat.
Current exceptions: None!

Make a Donation

The budget of the WRTC is used to fund campaigns, outreach events, town communications, Memorial Day flags, and general operations. We are as careful with your contributions as we wish the government was with your taxes. There are two ways to donate:
Online (preferred) - To make an online contribution through our secure third-party organization, go here.
By Check - Should you prefer to mail in a check, please print and complete the contribution form found here and mail it with your check to our Treasurer James Durant.

About Windsor

The Town of Windsor spends over $152 million of your tax dollars annually. Unlike many other CT communities, the voters of Windsor have the right and the ability to approve the annual town budget (and to control their property tax increases!) every May when the annual town budget referendum is held.
Review the issues we're addressing, including lower taxes, practical education, strong public safety, and sound infrastructure.
Get more information at the town, state, and national level.

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Vote NO on the town budget and NO on the Broad Street Road DietTODAY May 12th 6:00 AM to 8:00 PMEvery Vote Will Count!