After getting slapped around the week before by the Auburn City Council for its proposed 2012 budget, the School Committee refused to cut a cent Wednesday and, as if in defiance, launched a new program to put $500 iPads in the mitts of kindergartners.

Now that’s chutzpa!

Superintendent Tom Morrill told the enthusiastic School Committee members Wednesday that the new iPad program would cost about $200,000, but he pledged to work between now and June to find money in the school budget and from grants to cover the cost.

While he’s at it, Morrill might start looking for money to fund the rest of his budget increase, because he won’t be getting it from taxpayers.

That budget includes a new summer program and 16½ new positions, and would increase the School Department’s tax rate by 14 percent.

Morrill is retiring at the end of this year and, perhaps, he wants to go out in a blaze of fireworks, because that’s where this is headed.

When he presented this budget two weeks ago to the council, which has ultimate say over its approval, the response was chilly, and that’s putting it mildly.

Three councilors walked out on his presentation. One of the remaining had to explain the obvious — launching expensive new initiatives in the middle of a state and local funding crisis is not going to happen.

The walkout was inexcusable, but so is sticking to a budget that already has been labeled unworkable.

The city is already reeling from cuts in the state’s revenue-sharing program. Just to stand still — just to maintain services at current levels — would require a 6 percent property tax hike on the municipal side.

Throw in the School Department’s 14 percent increase, and taxpayers would face a 9 percent property tax hike.

If approved, the owner of a $150,000 home would see a tax increase of $261 and an annual tax bill of $3,156.

That would come, of course, at a tough time for many folks, with unemployment high and many people who would like to be working full time able only to get part-time jobs.

Then there are the thousands of retired homeowners in the city. Many of them rely on Social Security for all or part of their income, and that program has had no cost-of-living increase in two years.

A 9 percent tax increase would be tough to swallow at any time. It is simply unfathomable at this time.

We are not passing judgment on the kindergarten iPad program. We would like a closer look at the evidence on that.

But Morrill and the School Committee should go back to the drawing board and come up with a more modest 2012 budget increase.

If they don’t, the council will set the rate and the next step will be a referendum vote that would pit school supporters against tax opponents.

Looking around the state and country, budget-cutters seem to be beating the daylights out of tax-hikers at the moment.

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The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.