WALES — A new RSU 4 budget totaling $229,000 less than the budget rejected earlier this month will go to voters in three weeks — but it doesn’t include any cuts.

After more than two hours of discussion Wednesday night, school board directors rejected Superintendent Jim Hodgkin’s proposal to cut seventh-grade sports and a director of facilities position.

They adopted a new budget of $17.69 million that takes advantage of $55,000 in savings found in staff salaries and recently renegotiated contracts, and counts on $175,000 in newly anticipated state education funding, Hodgkin said.

The anticipated impact on the tax rate for this new proposal: 71 cents per $1,000 of property valuation in Litchfield, $1.28 in Sabattus and $1.11 in Wales.

On a $150,000 home, that would be a property tax bill increase of $107, $191 and $167, respectively, according to figures provided by the district.

On June 11, voters in Litchfield and Wales narrowly approved a $17.75 million budget. Voters in Sabattus rejected it by a broad margin, scuttling the whole thing.

That budget was expected to add 99 cents to the tax rate in Litchfield, $1.63 in Sabattus and $1.44 in Wales.

Hodgkin said the savings in staff salaries came from new people being hired to replace more senior, outgoing staff members. The additional revenue is a new estimate from the state.

The public can vote on the new budget at 6:30 p.m. July 10 at Oak Hill High School. A referendum vote will follow July 16 in each of the three towns.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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