Strike two
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By Cristina Kumka Staff Writer - Published: May 1, 2009
By a margin of 24 votes, voters in Middletown Springs on Wednesday turned down the town's $1.8 million school budget for the second time this year.
The budget for the town's roughly 100 kindergarten, elementary and high school students was reduced by nearly $90,000 after a $1,987,598 spending plan was defeated by voters in March.
Capital projects were cut and more surplus was applied to the most recent budget in an effort to reduce the tax rate, according to Thomas Gallagher, superintendent of the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union.
District officials reduced the elementary school portion of the budget to below a 2 percent increase and reduced the tax rate by 7 cents, he said.
Still, voters on Wednesday night refused the plan by a vote of 175 to 151 and 87 fewer voters cast ballots than in March, Gallagher said.
Voters also denied the town's budget for roads.
"We did all the things we thought we heard the people wanted us to do," Gallagher said Thursday.
Middletown Springs School Director Kimberly Mathewson attributed both school and road budget denials to residents concerned about their tax bills.
"It's probably the numbers," Mathewson said.
"I don't think people are concerned we aren't giving these kids a good education," she said.
"They are concerned about paying their tax bill … I'm concerned about paying my tax bill."
Mathewson said the town's School Board will canvass the neighborhood in the coming weeks and speak to residents to find out how they can get the school budget passed before the town faces penalties.
"If we don't have a budget by the new fiscal year beginning July 1, it starts costing us money because we have to start borrowing money," she said.
"We will rework the budget to see if there is anything we can change that won't affect the children's education."
A meeting is set for May 5 to discuss the vote.
For more information, call the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union office at 287-5286.
cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com
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