School Budget Fails - Town Budget Passes

The $14.28 million town budget passed, but the $31.21 million school budget failed by 35 votes.

Tallies were 1,494 to 1,477 for the town and 1,502 to 1,467 for the school.

Just over 2,900 voters turned out May 25 for the second referendum, about 560 more than the first referendum held May 11.

Last week, the Board of Finance cut the $14.53 million town budget and $31.55 school budget at their May 16 meeting. They held a public hearing May 18 on the matter.

The revised budget represents a 0.7 percent increase from the current (fiscal year ’10-’11 which ends June 30, 2011) budget.

The cuts include $251,000 on the town side and $344,772 on the school side. The $251,000 decrease on the town side is comprised of $151,000 in cuts from the $614,850 capital budget and $100,000 in cuts from the $693,500 Henry Carter Hull Library’s budget. The $344,772 decrease by the Board of Finance in the school budget cannot be specific to any department or line item per state statutes - it is an overall cut.

In the May 11 referendum, voters rejected both budgets by a vote of  1,432 to 903 (town budget) and 1,413 to 924 (school budget).

Both referendum ballots had just those two questions.

The school budget will return for a third referendum.