The town won’t conduct a recount on the Board of Education budget, after all, according to Town Clerk Margaret West.
Robert DeBisschop, the moderator of the polling place, had said after the vote count Tuesday night at Quaker Farms School that a recount was necessary because the school budget passed by fewer than 20 votes.
However, that 20 vote rule only applies to elections, not budget votes, West said Wednesday.
A different state statute rules over referendum votes and by that measure, there does not need to be a recount, West said.
“It’s one half of one percent of the total votes cast, so that would equal nine votes,” West said. “So there doesn’t need to be a recount.”
The $25.9 million school budget passed by 13 votes. The final count was 846 in favor of the school budget, and 833 opposed.
The $13.4 million town budget also passed, with 920 ‘yes’ votes, and 761 ‘no’ votes.
School board member Lisa Hellauer said this afternoon she is “glad it passed.”
She wasn’t pleased with the cuts that had to be made, to meet the $420,000 reduction, and is hoping some savings can be found to help mitigate the action taken, like reducing clerical hours at the four schools.
Board member Michael Macchio said he was happy to hear there won’t be a recount.
“I’m excited that it passed so we don’t have to make any more cuts,” Macchio said. “I think it’s disappointing we didn’t get a yes vote the first time, because now we are subject to the $420,000 cuts, which I think hurt the district.”
