WALES — Superintendent Jim Hodgkin presented a revised Regional School Unit 4 budget of $18,564,945, reduced $51,000 from the budget rejected last month, to approximately 44 voters at the town meeting Wednesday evening.

Hodgkin opened the meeting with a short presentation explaining how the reduced budget had been configured and expressed his satisfaction in the decisions of the RSU 4 board of directors. As Hodgkin pointed out, since the inception of RSU 4 approximately six years ago, the budget has only increased by an average of 1.47 percent.

All of the 16 articles passed resulting in a proposed budget of $18,564,945 for fiscal year 2015-2016, a $51,000 reduction compared to the budget that voters rejected last month.

This reduced budget was comprised of a $5,000 decrease in technology costs, a $16,000 cut to the maintenance of sports fields and $30,000 originally allocated for the lease-to-purchase of a school bus. In addition, the district received an additional $176,896 from the state as part of the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, passed by the Legislature earlier this month.

If the budget is approved, the tax savings on a home worth $100,000 would be $8.45 per year for Litchfield residents, $26.39 per year for Sabattus residents, and $20.11 per year for Wales residents.

The budget will go to a referendum vote on Tuesday, July 28, at the town halls in Litchfield, Sabattus and Wales.

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.