LIVERMORE FALLS — RSU 73 voters in three towns will have a chance to vote on individual cost centers of a proposed $19 million budget to cover school operations in 2012-13.

The spending package represents a 3 percent or $613,870 increase over the current $18.4 million budget.

The districtwide budget meeting, similar to an open town meeting format with voting, will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at the cafeteria of the Spruce Mountain High School South Campus in Livermore Falls. Voters will have a chance at this meeting to set the bottom line of each warrant article. They will be able to increase or decrease recommended amounts.

The final say on the budget set on Tuesday is at the polls in each town on Tuesday, June 12. Voters will have a yes-or-no referendum validation question for the budget to consider from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Most of the tax increase is attributed to anticipation of less revenue, Superintendent Robert Wall said Thursday. He said there were several reductions in the budget proposal to try and keep the effect on taxpayers down.

Less revenues will come in the form of not having federal jobs bill money to factor into the budget next year, as the district did this year.

Jay also has $418,505 less in cash balance to bring forward this year to help offset the education assessment, according to Wall.

When the Jay School Department and RSU 36 towns of Livermore Falls, Jay and Livermore consolidated July 1, 2011, each had a cash balance left over from a previous year’s budget.

For the existing budget, Jay used $800,000 from cash balance carried forward, Livermore, $242,600 and Livermore Falls, $242,600.

For next school year, Jay has $381,495, Livermore, $324,605 and Livermore Falls, $305,982, to offset respective towns’ taxpayer share.

This will conclude the cash balances each town will have to lessen the effect of the budget on tax assessments in coming years.

The budget includes elimination and reduction in hours for positions and $1 million less in items that never made it to the administrator’s budget.

The proposal does include $150,000, which was to cover the first payment on a proposed $5.3 million bond if it had been approved to renovate and build additions on to the high and middle schools in Jay to house all high school students. Voters in three towns overwhelmingly rejected that plan last month.

If needed, the money could be used for planning and other aspects of finding a solution to house high school students on one campus or a variation of plans.

“We need to align our resources to fully appreciate the savings that can be gained,” Wall said.

RSU 73 directors voted in May to add about $101,000 more to the initially proposed $18.9 million budget to restore a gifted-and-talented teaching position and to restore a proposed half-time social worker to full time.

Jay’s share of the proposed budget is estimated at $9.14 million, which reflects an increase of $1,020,654.84, over this year’s $8.12 million.

Livermore’s share is projected at $1.73 million, $83,729.33 more than this year‘s assessment of $1.65 million.

Livermore Fall’s share is projected at $1.42 million, $57,399.83 more than the current $1.34 million.

Those figures do not include the $40,000 each town is responsible for adult education to cover the local cost of $120,000.

The estimated effect on the taxes for just education purposes on a house valued at $100,000 is in Jay, $832.78, an increase of $92.53 a year or $7.71 a month; in Livermore, $974.18, an increase of $67.94 per year or $5.66 a month; and Livermore Falls, $1,010.42, an increase of $39.66 per year or $3.31 per month.

NOTE: This article has been modified since it was first published to reflect Tuesday, June 12, as the correct voting day for RSU 73 towns. It was a reporting error.

dperry@sunjournal.com

RSU 73 budget comparison

Here are the cost centers in the proposed RSU 73 budget 2012-13 compared to 2011-12, which voters will consider Tuesday, June 5.

Cost center                                2011-12           2012-13          Difference            
System administration            $605,974         $578,217         ($27,757)
School administration              $1.1 million      $1 million        ($85,409)        
Regular Instruction                 $7.5 million      $7.52 million   $29,949
Student, staff support             $1.59 million    $1.64 million   $46,427
Other instruction                     $544,969          $439,261         $105,708)
Special education                     $2.29 million    $2.3 million     $75,843
Transportation                        $1.2 million        $1.15 million    ($58,157)
Operation of plant                   $2.69 million    $2.9 million    $292,432.99           
Debt service                             $897,949           $998,292       $150,343
Contingency                             $0                      $319,592*       $319,592
Total                                         $18.4 million    $19 million       $613,870
* Contingency is for matters not settled including union negotiations.
Source: RSU 73    

Copy the Story Link