JAY — Residents in three towns voted 346-469 Tuesday to reject an $18.7 million school budget to operate RSU 73 in 2012-13. It is the second time a budget has failed in the validation process at the polls since June 12.

Voters in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls voted in a combined tally of 642-734 to defeat an $18.8 million budget last month. Administrators and board members cut nearly $80,000 off that budget and sent it to voters Tuesday.

The revised $18.7 million budget that was nixed reflected a 1.8 percent increase, or $330,589 more than last year’s budget.

Voters in Jay defeated the revised budget by a vote of 196-270. Residents in Livermore rejected in a 78-123 vote. And, in Livermore Falls they voted 72-76 to defeat it.

The district is currently running on the $18.8 million budget approved in the first vote at a public meeting, before the June 12 validation referendum.

“We have to go through the process again,” Superintendent Robert Wall said. “The law prescribes we have another process within 30 days,” he said.

That time frame includes board review of the budget, another districtwide meeting to set the budget and the yes or no validation done at a referendum at the polls.

Wall plans to discuss the budget with RSU 73 directors at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 26, in the cafeteria of the Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link