FARMINGTON – Voters will have the final say on a $33.9 million budget Thursday, with a budget validation vote scheduled in all 10 towns.
The $33,929,507 budget approved on July 25 represents a $1.18 million increase over the previous fiscal year. As proposed, the budget would represent in a total tax assessment increase of $24,970, spread across all 10 towns.
The budget has undergone a series of changes since it was voted down on June 13, with 1,457 votes cast in favor and 1,641 cast in opposition. Directors narrowly approved $344,524 in reductions on June 29, prior to the governor signing the state budget in early July after a brief state shutdown.
The district received an additional $729,954 from the state as part of the new state budget. Directors recommended dividing the money and using it for three purposes; voters at the budget meeting on July 25 endorsed those recommendations by increasing the funding to three expenditure articles. A total of $378,165 be applied to reduce the property tax assessment impact of the budget, $164,431 was used to pay for capital projects that were to be funded through a $318,000 bond approved by voters at the June 13 vote, and $186,358 to fund three positions: two social workers and restoring the combined student services coordinator/high school guidance counselor as two separate positions.
The social workers would divide their time throughout the district, working with regular instruction students, while the student services coordinator/guidance counselor consolidation was attempted a year ago and reportedly hasn’t worked; Superintendent Tom Ward listed that as the top priority out of the positions cut a few weeks ago. Ward has noted that the district has also requested that the state pick up the reimbursement of the student services coordinator for Foster Tech quicker than the typical, two-year delay due to the position only being vacant for a single year. The state reimburses Foster Tech expenditures at slightly above 100 percent.
At the budget meeting on July 25, a motion was made from the floor to increase the budget by $24,970 to cover the cost of increasing the American Sign Language teaching position from half- to full-time. That increase was in the original budget voted down on June 6, but was cut after the school board made $344,524 in reductions on June 29.
That changed the combined increase of the 10 towns’ local property tax assessment from the board-recommended $0 to $24,970, as compared to the previous year. Specifically, the town of Chesterville would see a $25,168 increase to $961,254 as compared to the previous fiscal year, the town of Farmington would see an $60 increase to $4,627,770 , the town of Industry would see a $30,584 increase to $839,185, New Sharon would see a $2,583 decrease to $1,022,416, New Vineyard would see a $11,773 increase to $717,248, Starks would see a $30,518 increase to $389,210, Temple would see a $11,258 decrease to $429,016, Vienna would see a $2,079 increase to $701,838, Weld would see a $9,429 decrease to $461,058 and Wilton would see a $51,941 decrease to $2,837,912.
While Thursday’s poll places have not changed from the June 13 vote, the times have. The previous vote was held in conjunction with the state referendum, which mandates specific hours of operation for polling stations. Thursday’s polling station hours of operation, however, was set by the town clerks in each town.
Town polling station locations and hours of operation
Chesterville Town Office, from 12 p.m to 8 p.m.
Farmington Community Center, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Industry Town Hall, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
New Sharon Town Office, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
New Vineyard Smith Hall, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Starks Community Center, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Temple Town Hall, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Vienna Fire Station, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Weld Town Office, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Wilton Town Office, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Why is Weld offering such a small time window to vote? All other towns have at least a 6 hour window.
It is to bad that ALL of the towns didn’t leave the polls open long enough for the working person to be able to make it in to vote on this important issue, after all, they are footing the bill.
Exactly sarge !!! Its esay for the people who dont work or have summers off to get there to vote the way they want and the working class has to miss out or leave work early and lose pay !!!
If you are old fashioned and interested in big perspective relevant local facts, and have courage, check out this blog?
We’ve lots of problems as a society to solve is a rather painful understatement, but I can’t figure how cutting education funds is a step in the right direction?
http://brycemoore.com/blog/adding-a-bit-of-common-sense-to-the-school-budget-rhetoric/
I am a “working class” resident in RSU 9 and voted by absentee ballot last week. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
My prediction-sourounding towns vote “no”……Farmington votes yes and budget passes. Seen this movie before-the no folks need numbers that they don’t have.
Every voter should know how to get an absentee ballot. And then DO IT. No excuses.
This blog post ( from above) is very interesting and gives a “big picture” look at the numbers.
http://brycemoore.com/blog/adding-a-bit-of-common-sense-to-the-school-budget-rhetoric/
I worked a regular 10-hour day today as usual and still managed to vote YES before the polls closed. The Divisive and Disingenuous Always No side love to paint school supporters as either unemployed or lazy teachers (teachers who they believe do not work second jobs in the summertime). Seems it’s how the Always No side see their neighbors: they are either on their Always No side or they’re not “working persons footing the bill.”
Thank you Stan. You lose. You defame the NO side. Maybe, just maybe, it’s people who have supported these schools over the years who are finally realizing there is no end to the irrational spending. And until the spenders realize the NO side is finally getting their say, things will not change.
Nancy, define irrational. When you say the budget is irrational without actually defining what you are calling irrational then it is merely name calling. Sorry to say it but this district is actually underfunded when you compare it to other districts with the same population.
No one won or lost with this rejected budget, just puts the board to work.
Nancy, I’m also very curious why you don’t raise such opposition to an increasing Town and County budget?