The Seymour Board of Finance Monday voted to send the same school budget to referendum that residents already rejected by 201 votes.
The decision came with a mandate to the Board of Education: Sell the $30.5 million proposal to the voters or face painful cuts if the budget is rejected at a fourth referendum.
School officials had gone into Monday’s meeting expecting some cuts in their proposal — which represents a 2.53 percent increase over current spending — after voters rejected it 938 to 737 at a referendum on May 30.
But finance board members instead decided to send a message that they believe the schools are underfunded and need the money to keep up with increased expectations.
“I don’t think anybody who is voting no (on the school budget) has really taken a hard look at the budget,” said Board of Finance member Dave Bitso.
To do so, click here to read past articles on the school budget proposal. Or click here to read everything the Valley Independent Sentinel has written about the budget proposal.
“For my money, I can’t see the education system taking another hit,” said Finance Board member Bill Sawicki.
The motion passed 6 – 1.
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The next referendum is tentatively scheduled for June 13. The date needs to be approved by the Board of Selectmen at a meeting on Tuesday.
‘The People Have Spoken’
Board Chairman Trish Danka was the lone dissenting vote.
She said the board should have made cuts to respond to the voters who rejected the budget overwhelmingly. She was also concerned a fourth rejection could put the town into the next fiscal year without a complete budget.
Residents vote separately on town and school budget proposals.
At the third referendum, the $21.1 million town proposal passed by 11 votes, while the school budget proposal failed again.
“I’m not willing to ignore 200 some-odd people,” Danka said, referencing the margin of defeat for the school budget at the last vote.
However, Danka vowed to vote “Yes” on the school budget at the next referendum.
First Selectman Kurt Miller echoed Danka’s concerns.
“I don’t think there should be cuts to the Board of Education, but I work for the people and the people have spoken, unfortunately,” Miller said.
The people who vote want to see a lower Board of Education proposal, Miller said.
Miller wondered: Should the Board of Finance penalize the people who make the effort to show up to the polls?
A Mandate
In that regard, it’s up to the Board of Education to make sure they get more parents and supporters out to the polls, Board of Finance members said.
“This rises or falls on the people pulling the lever, or filling in the bubbles,” Sawicki said.
“You’ve got to sell it,” Sawicki said. “If it’s not successful, then as a board we have other actions to take.”
Board of Education member Kristen Harmeling said she would take some suggestions to the full Board of Education about ways they can get the word out before the next referendum.
Harmeling was one of three people to speak in favor of no budget proposal cuts during public comment Monday. The Board of Education was meeting at the same time as the Board of Finance, and Harmeling headed back to that meeting after the finance board vote Monday.
Article continues after Education budget information.
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Assistant Superintendent Christine Syriac and parent Eileen Faustich also spoke during public comment.
“The Board of Education has received nominal budget increases over the last five years,” Syriac said. “And for three of those five years, we had the same operating budget due to zero increases.”
The school board initially came to the town this budget season asking for a 5.15 percent increase.
The finance board trimmed that request after each failed referendum -— $300,000 after the first and $150,000 after the second.
Seymour has traditionally had a hard time getting the school budget passed.
The 2009 – 2010 and 2010 – 2011 budgets passed with 0 percent increases after earlier versions failed.
Last year, the schools got a $677,312, or 2.3 percent, increase in spending, after three failed votes.
WHAT WILL MY TAXES BE?!
The proposal, if approved, would result in a tax rate of 32.95 mills.
The current rate is 27.62 mills. Town officials have recalculated the rate to 31.95 to allow residents to make a better comparison to account for revaluation.
Individual taxpayers bills will vary, based on their old assessment, their new assessment and the mill rate finally approved.
Miller said about 30 percent of residents would likely see no increase — or a tax decrease — once the school budget is finalized.
Residents can call Town Hall with their assessment information to find out what will happen to their taxes under the proposal.
