Gray and New Gloucester voters reject school budget
The overall vote total was 1,211 in favor and 1,230 opposed, a margin of just 11 votes.
In Gray, 644 voted in favor and 805 voted against, while in New Gloucester, 567 voted in favor and 425 voted against.
The proposed School Administrative District 15 budget represented an increase of $2 million, or 5.9%, from the previous year.
Gray Town Clerk Britt Barton told Lakes Region Now that, ahead of the vote, the budget was a hot topic among residents, with detractors saying that there has been too much left in the general fund over the years, and that there have been increases to line items that don't need them.
SAD 15 Board Chair Penny Collins gave more detail on the process of crafting the budget, and which specific items were seeing an increase. She explained that most of the budget items were voted on at the towns' budget validation meeting on May 22, with all articles being passed as written, and any attempts to amend the articles downward were rejected.
She said this year does not feel particularly different in terms of the community conversation, and that, while the district was optimistic about the fate of the budget, should it fail, they would simply restart the process of crafting the budget.
Collins said more than three quarters of the $2 million came in the form of contracted pay increases for employees and an increase in health insurance, with the rest going towards district needs, bond payments, and adult education.
Carolyn Justice won her select board race with 656 votes, with candidates Rachel L. Rumson and Joshua J. Pietrowicz receiving 562 and 400 votes respectively. Penny L. Collins won the race for MSAD #15 school board director with 712, with challenger Misty Coolidge receiving 661 votes.
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