OXFORD – Area voters will be asked to return to the polls July 26 to reconsider $1.9 million rejected two weeks ago as part of a SAD 17 budget referendum.
The $1.9 million was included in an proposed fiscal year 2005-06 budget of $31.2 million. Although voters rejected Article 4 on a related June 14 warrant, refusing to raise the amount through taxes, they authorized spending the full proposed budget in a separate article.
But the money has to be raised to be spent, and the SAD 17 Board of Directors on Monday voted to bring back the $1.9 million question. They set the new referendum date and approved a new warrant, Assistant Superintendent Mark LaRoach said Tuesday.
District Business Manager Cathy Fanjoy, who joined LaRoach in a conference call, said the new warrant will contain only one article, which “is identical to what (Article 4) was in the previous vote.”
The $1.9 million is the difference between local funds already approved to qualify for state funding, and what’s needed for the district to maintain most of its current services.
Despite the EPS legislation, the state is picking up only 84 percent of its share of education costs across the state this year.
The $31.2 million approved budget does carry with it some cuts. Voters on June 14 were given the opportunity to raise $493,941 beyond the $31.2 million in order to restore some cut positions, supplies, maintenance projects and services. The related article, Article 13, was rejected.
Fanjoy said that article will not reappear on July the warrant.
If voters again reject the $1.9 million, another referendum vote could be held, Eastman has said.
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