This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/19/2015 12:15 PMNearly 3,000 Clinton residents turned out to vote in the May 13 budget referendum for the town budget, the Board of Education (BOE) budget, and a $4.2 million bonding package for road and infrastructure improvement. Both the town and BOE budgets failed to pass and must now be adjusted, while the bonding package was approved.
Board of Finance (BOF) Vice Chairman Leah Saunders was surprised by the results as “both budgets were carefully and thoughtfully put together,” but did note that the turnout was higher than the turnouts over the past few years, with about 25 percent of registered voters coming out to the polls on May 13.
The BOF met right after the votes were tallied and decided to cut one percent from each budget—$167,000 from the town budget and $330,000 from the BOE’s budget.
“The town cuts were made across the board, a little from every department with a little more from the police department as their budget is the largest,” said BOF Chairman Ona Nejdl, who originally requested a $550,000 cut to the BOE’s budget. “We have a graying of our town, the school system is shrinking, and a BOE that keeps expanding in relation to its administrative staff—the town budget is so tiny in comparison.”
School administration workloads have increased statewide due to mandated increases in student testing and teacher evaluations.
The town budget was decided by just 21 votes, with 1,451 voting against the $16,752,237 proposed budget and 1,430 voting to approve it. The BOE’s proposed budget of $33,040,331 was voted down 1,512 to 1,372.
Superintendent of Schools Jack Cross said the original budget represented a 1.48 percent increase in the operating budget, but with the $330,000 cut from the budget by the BOF after the referendum, the increase is 0.42 percent.
“I hope people will recognize that with just a 0.42 percent increase in operating budget that you can’t operate a household, a business, or a school system,” said Cross. “Some costs go up every year, and there are only so many ways you an absorb that.”
Cross has been examining the line items on the budget since the cut and meets with the BOE on Monday, May 18, noting that his goal is to make the cuts without impacting programs for the kids.
“We have a little more than 300 people that work their hearts out for the kids in this community, and to think we can’t get enough votes to come out for a relatively small budget increase is frustrating,” said Cross. “We’re doing really great things in the district, and I feel badly that I can’t convince people that we’re doing the right kind of things. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’ll figure out a way.”
The bond package, which includes road and streetscape improvements as well as repairing the HVAC system at the Clinton Police Department, had the most support and was the only item to pass by a vote of 1,632 to 1,237.
The Board of Selectmen met on May 14 to adjust line items, with the proposed changes going to the BOF on Monday, May 18 (after press time). A public hearing on the new proposed budget was scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a referendum on Wednesday, May 27 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“These budgets are carefully and thoughtfully put together by the boards of Selectmen, Finance, and Education based on the needs and services we have identified are necessary to continue to move the town forward,” said Saunders. “These budgets are tight, and the cuts we had to make were done in a way to try and minimize the effect on services provided to all townspeople, but it doesn’t leave us with much wiggle room. I urge people to come out and support both these budgets before we are forced to make further cuts that will affect services for all residents.”