LIVERMORE FALLS – Approximately 50 voters from Livermore and Livermore Falls quickly passed through SAD 36 budget articles Tuesday night and consented to a $9.26 million budget for fiscal 2009.

Voters had few questions and little discussion as they worked through and passed all 17 articles giving authorization for the district budget of $9,262,803. The spending plan represents a $196,513 increase over this year’s $9.06 million budget.

State law now requires a budget meeting vote followed by a “yes” or “no” referendum validation. That will be held June 10 at the polls in Livermore and Livermore Falls.

“But voters will face just the one question on June 10, a simple yes or no, with no numbers or explanations,” Superintendent Terry Despres said. “Many citizens won’t have the benefit of tonight’s explanation of the budget.”

Asked about the purpose of some individual articles, Despres gave an explanation including an amount of $170,700 for “other instruction.” The item includes sports and school activities that state funding does not cover, he said.

Another article for “other expenditures” at $40,000 covers the school’s food service and a debt service article asking for $311,727 covers the Livermore Elementary school bond, he said.

The district will give citizens of Livermore and Livermore Falls a reduction in the tax rate, Despres said in a written statement.

The rate will be reduced by 49 cents per $1,000 of property valuation, he said. Within the district, the tax rate for education has dropped from $14.67 per $1,000 valuation in 2005 to $10.06 per $1,000 of property in 2008.

In addition to the school budget, voters approved an article that appropriates $199,750 for adult education and raises $79,500 as the local share to fund it. Adult education, Despres said, is supported by state and federal funding and does not come under state funding guidelines so this article was not included in the approved $9.26 million school spending plan.