AUBURN — Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said Monday that he can’t see eye-to-eye with school officials on matters of money or time.
LaBonte took issue with a School Committee proposal to schedule a February 2014 referendum ballot on building a high school. Voters would decide the fate of a proposed Edward Little High School next February, according to a timeline presented to city councilors at a joint workshop meeting Monday.
“A midwinter vote on what could be a $60 million ballot issue that could bankrupt the city of Auburn — or at least our poorer taxpayers — is very unfortunate,” LaBonte said. “At the very least, this should be hitched to a June school budget referendum to allow an up or down vote there.”
School officials are planning to ask voters to pay to build a $62 million high school with no state financial help. With all costs being paid by property taxes, it could mean a hefty increase on local tax bills. Estimates last April put the increase at as much as $336 per year on a $150,000 home.
According to the plan, work on the new school would begin in February 2015, if voters approve the 2014 referendum. The old building would be torn down when school lets out for the summer in 2017, with the new building opening Aug. 30 of that year.
City Manager Clinton Deschene said that’s coming on top of other proposed tax increases for both the city and schools. Councilors are scheduled to vote to adopt a proposed budget for both at their May 20 meeting, vote on the School Department’s capital plan and schedule a June 11 referendum for the schools’ 2013-14 budget.
School officials are proposing a budget for 2013-14 that calls for $17.4 million in taxes, a $1.7 million increase compared to this year. That would increase property taxes on a $150,000 home by about $128 this year.
Several councilors cautioned that it might be too much for voters.
“I guess I’m not worried about having the vote in February,” Councilor Joshua Shea said. “It’s going to be a $40 to $60 million question, and that’s more than our regular budget. I think people are going to turn out in spades, and I don’t think it’s going to be a good thing for you if it goes the way it’s going.”
According to the City Charter, councilors have the authority to schedule votes. LaBonte urged councilors to schedule a later referendum.
“If the council does not say, ‘Jeez, this scares us,’ they will likely continue to spend resources and come up with a final concept design that will include a budget,” LaBonte said. “They’ll ask the council to pay for the project, and you need to either vote it up or down.”
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