FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors are expected to discuss a new budget timeline for a second budget vote when they meet Tuesday, June 20.

A proposed $33.89 million budget failed Tuesday, 1,458 to 1,643.

The school board meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. with an executive session and the regular board meeting will follow in the Forum at Mt. Blue Campus.

The majority of voters in seven out of 10 towns and Perkins Township rejected the budget proposal that represented a $1.14 million increase over the current budget.

However, voters approved the district’s $317,834 capital improvement bond for repairs and improvements at district schools and the bus garage, 1,541 to 1,457. 

The bond is to be repaid over 10 years at an estimated annual payment of $38,217, based on an estimated 3½ percent interest. Payments are not expected to start until 2018-19. The district will be paying off two other bonds in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Superintendent Tom Ward said he appreciates everyone who cast ballots on the budget and bond questions.

“It is difficult to ask people to approve a budget when they don’t know how much state revenue the district will receive and what their town’s tax assessment will be,” Ward said.

The state Legislature has not approved a budget.

In the governor’s proposal, money for the system administration, which includes the superintendent and Central Office, was removed from the state’s essential programs and services funding formula. Currently, the formula covers 50 percent of the cost of system administration. The other half of the funding comes out of local funds. If the Legislature restores system administration to the state formula, it means about $500,000 more for the district, Ward stated previously.

Ward hopes a state budget will be approved by the time the district holds a second vote on a budget so they will know what the district will receive for revenues, he said.

According to state law, if voters do not validate the budget approved in the regional school unit budget meeting at the budget validation referendum vote, the regional school unit board shall hold another regional school unit budget meeting at least 10 days but no longer than 45 days after the referendum to vote on a budget approved by the regional school unit board. The budget approved at the regional school unit budget meeting must be submitted to the voters for validation at referendum.

Voting results by towns on the budget and the bond questions (yes votes are listed first, no votes are listed second) are as follows:

• Chesterville: 61-183 on the budget validation vote; and 74-161 on bond question.

• Farmington: 644-501 budget; 663-458 bond.

• Industry: 65-89 budget; 71-83 bond.

• New Sharon: 139-207 budget; 126-216 bond.

• New Vineyard: 31-109 budget; 46-94 bond.

• Perkins Township: 1-2 budget; 1-2 bond.

• Starks: 84-19 budget; 84-19 bond.

• Temple: 65-75 budget; 72-70 bond.

• Vienna: 61-57 budget; 65-54 bond.

• Weld: 34-52 budget; 34-52 bond.

• Wilton: 273-349 budget; 303-250 bond.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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