JAY — Voters will consider a $6.18 million municipal budget at the polls Tuesday, June 8.

After anticipated revenues of $2.7 million are factored into the municipal budget, it would leave a net budget of $3.4 million to be paid for through tax commitment, according to Town Manager Ruth Cushman’s figures. This does not include tax assessments for school or the town’s share of Franklin County government.

Voters will also consider a $9.1 million school budget during voting hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Community Building.

The Selectmen’s initial budget, a proposed $5.88 million spending plan, had reflected a decrease. The board had recommended elimination of curbside pickup of trash and recyclables and had not included that in the budget. Selectmen said it was a way to save money for next year and costly investments in the future.

After some debate at the Budget Committee level, selectmen agreed to put a separate article on the ballot for $326,800 to cover curbside pickup for 2010-11.

When asked during discussion in April, Cushman said the service costs between $33 to $35 on a tax bill for a house valued at $100,000.

After residents raised concerns about the elderly and others not being able to get to the transfer station, selectmen decided to let residents make the decision.

The proposed budget is $95,351.04 more than the current budget. It also represents a significant decrease in overtime hours for the Public Works crew.

Voters will also be asked to consider continuing the school budget validation referendum process in the Jay School Department for an additional three years. Schools around the state are asking voters a similar question.

The state school reorganization law superseded the town’s referendum voting method on individual school articles three years ago. The new law set in place an open-style town meeting vote on the individual school warrant articles to set the budget, and then a required second vote by referendum to validate what the people had voted on during the open-style meeting.

The validation vote is either a “yes” or “no” vote, which has to be held within 10 days of the first vote. That took place on June 1.

Both the School Committee and Budget Committee recommend that residents continue the budget validation referendum process on the school budget.

“A ‘yes’ vote will require the Jay School Department to continue to conduct a referendum to validate its annual school budget for the next three years,” according to an information note on the warrant.

“A ‘no’ vote will discontinue the budget validation referendum for at least three years and provide instead that the annual school budget shall be finally adopted at a meeting of the voters.”

Years ago a citizens’ petition prompted the townspeople to decide whether they wanted to vote on all town and school articles for the annual town meeting by secret ballot at the polls. They voted in favor of that process and continued it until the new school law changed it.

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