On May 14, residents came out to the polls in small numbers but still overwhelmingly approved both the town and school budgets for fiscal year 2019-’20. The town budget was approved with 1387 “Yes” votes to 691 “No” votes and the school budget was approved with 1315 “Yes” votes to 767 “No” votes. Voter turnout was 16 percent.

The town budget is $26,740,840, an increase in spending of $1,777,350 or 7.12 percent. The town budget includes contractual salary increases, an uptick in health insurance, an increased investment in capital as recommended by the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Committee, and a small jump in debt service due to the addition of the library renovation bonds.

The Board of Education budget, the district’s first with a closed Island Avenue School, is $58,048,103, a decrease in spending of $55,608 or 0.10 percent. The budget represents a decrease in spending for general education, school facilities, debt service, and flat funding for maintenance. Items driving an offsetting increase to the budget include special education and health insurance.

The Board of Finance will meet in the coming days to formally set the mill rate.