Seymour Board of Education Vice Chairman Fred Stanek listened to the results of the town’s second budget referendum Thursday — the town budget passed, the school budget failed — paused, then came up with a novel approach for the Board of Finance to take when they meet Tuesday to rework the spending proposal.
“I’d like to see the $75,000 added back into the budget now that the town budget’s been cut,” he said, alluding to the reductions made by the finance board between the town’s first and second budget referendums.
Then he acknowledged that’s unlikely to happen.
“Realistically, I would imagine the Board of Finance will find it has to cut us,” Stanek said. “Hopefully the next vote will be the charm.”
Results
The town budget proposal of $22,045,915 passed at Thursday’s referendum 806 to 752.
The proposed schools budget of $30,977,984 failed 827 to 727.
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Turnout was just over 16 percent.
If approved, the budget would have seen the town’s mill rate increase 1.3 percent, from 32.83 mills to 33.26 mills.
The next referendum has been scheduled for June 6.
Reaction
After the results were announced, Board of Finance Chairman Trish Danka said she was glad the town budget proposal passed but disappointed voters again defeated the schools proposal.
Though at the first referendum (May 9) the margin of defeat for the school budget proposal was far heavier than the town budget proposal, the finance board cut $155,000 from the town side of the plan and $75,000 from the schools.
So they didn’t cut enough, right?
“I don’t think it’s a matter of not cutting enough, because technically, what we cut, the Board of Ed by percentage is ending up with fewer initiatives than the town,” Danka said.
Rather, Danka suggested voters are just irate about taxes at every level of government, and take the one place they have direct control over spending to send that message.
“I think it’s more a situation where the voters, this is really where they have a say, and they’re venting their frustrations,” she said. “They don’t have that say at the national or state level, and here’s where they can do that.”
“It’s disheartening because at the town level, this is where our quality of life is. This is where the money directly impacts the residents,” Danka went on. “Money spent at the town level has a direct impact to the residents. If I want my money to be spent someplace, it’s at the town level.”
Stanek said the school board has not decided where it would adjust its budget to reflect the $75,000 reduction, let alone any further cuts the finance board makes next week.
“Whatever amount of money is appropriated to the Board of Education, the Board of Education will make it work,” Stanek said. “We’re not in the territory where we have to lay off anybody at this point, but hopefully it will not go down to that level.”
First Selectman Kurt Miller said the town budget passing would allow officials to move forward with a number of “key initiatives,” including capital and road improvements.
He called the school budget failure “a little disappointing.”
“The residents have spoken,” he said. “They’re expecting some more cuts.”
Miller said he school and town officials will work together constructively to adjust the schools spending proposal.
“Hopefully as a group we can come up with a number that’s palatable to the residents,” he said.
