On April 2 I gave up my Saturday morning to attend the Poland Town Meeting. I wanted to vote on the business of the town, and I knew that was my only chance, so I attended.

The district budget meeting is the school system’s town meeting style budget meeting. Title 20-A M.R.S. §1482-A requires RSUs to hold a district budget meeting. The budget validation referendum is optional for schools; the district budget meeting is not.

People may recall last year, due to the pandemic, it took a special law to allow schools to have warrant articles — other than just the  “yes” “no” article — at the referendum.

It is the RSU law that created the two-step budget approval process for school systems. Cities, towns and the state do not have a two-step process. Worse, the referendum vote is only a “yes” or “no” — for the entire budget. When a school budget fails at the BVR, they have to start the entire process all over again.

If, a month after I had given up my Saturday to vote at the Poland Town Meeting, I was told we had to do it all over again because the vote failed at referendum, I would not be happy.

This year, Question 2 will ask voters if they want to continue with the BVR; this will leave the two-step process in place.

A “no” vote will allow districts to pass their budget with a one-step process, reversing the undue burden the state has placed on RSUs.

Stacie Field, Poland

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