LISBON — The Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to send the same $21.2 million school budget back to voters.
It was overwhelmingly rejected last month.
Voters will go the polls Tuesday, Aug. 5, to reconsider it.
School Committee Chairman Margaret Galligan-Schmoll defended the proposal, saying she was speaking as a parent of three children.
“The community should be standing behind the children … because they are going to become, someday, thoughtful, productive citizens,” she said. “By forcing the School Committee to make cuts, in my personal opinion, is quite frankly negligent.”
The councilors’ actions Tuesday suggest they agree with the School Committee that the reason it was rejected was due to frustration with the municipal budget.
The overall property tax rate is scheduled to increase by 18.6%, with the municipal side accounting for 10.6% of that amount.
Lisbon residents can only vote on the school budget.
An accounting error of $1.3 million last year has placed the town in a huge financial hole. Officials used money from the unassigned fund balance to cover the deficit but also used an additional $500,000 from that account. Auditor Ron Smith chastised the town in May for numerous arithmetic errors. He determined that the town actually used $2.9 million from the fund balance, leaving the town at a dangerously low level.
For the past few months, dozens of residents have spoken at every meeting pleading with councilors to cut the budget. Many have said they may have to sell their homes because of the expected steep tax increase.
“A lot of what you’re hearing from us is fear,” Paulette Cyr said. “Can we pay our taxes? If somebody can’t, do they have to move? Just fear. That brings out a lot of emotions.”
“I feel that is why the school budget was defeated because people are scared. That was the only choice that they had,” added resident Patty Dube.
Resident Dale Craft said he had issues with the Town Council sending the same budget back to voters following its one-sided defeat. He added that residents would watch closely on how the council votes.
“We had a vote on the school budget and 724 said it was too high and 312 said it was too low,” Crafts said. “Councilor (Normand) Albert went to the school board meeting and suggested and recommended they put the same budget back out.
“Democracy means that the people spoke. And you’re saying that you don’t care what they spoke,” he added.
No councilor spoke Tuesday to explain why they thought it was a good idea to send the same budget back to voters.
Several residents urged voters to support the school budget.
“I think the municipal side of the budget is way too high,” Dube said. “You are jeopardizing the education of every child that is in Lisbon, because they’re not going to be able to sustain the type of education that they deserve.”
She praised Superintendent Richard Green for coming up with a reasonable budget.
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