Board forwards $29.87 million budget to town meeting with $50,000 capital cut

The chair of the meeting opened the session and announced that the budget referendum narrowly failed; the board then voted to send the proposed $29,873,034 budget to a town meeting after accepting a $50,000 reduction to the capital contribution.

The vote follows a referendum result the chair described as a 21‑vote margin against the measure. With state aid newly expected, board members debated whether to run the same budget again with a lower mill rate or to make modest cuts to make the ballot figures look smaller to voters. Committee member 2 moved to forward the budget to town meeting and a friendly amendment reducing capital by $50,000 was seconded and accepted; the motion passed.

Board members said the decision balanced fiscal caution with political practicality. The chair noted that the state aid figures were not yet formally signed into law but that preliminary guidance suggested roughly $30,000 in restricted town‑aid‑road funding and additional recurring ECS support that could lower the town’s tax burden. Committee member 2 argued the board should “telegraph something to the town” about the tax reduction and offered to present the same spending package with a lower proposed mill rate. Other members favored a modest, symbolic cut so ballot numbers would show a decrease.

Several members also warned the messaging would be crucial. Committee member 6 said the town needed clear literature showing how state funds affected the mill rate, while another member cautioned that social‑media narratives could portray the change as a “shell game.” School representatives told the board that cutting and then restoring funds later could disrupt staffing and contractual obligations.

The motion as read into the record proposed a total budget of $29,873,034, including a board of education request of $21,970,100, general government of $6,088,005 and a capital contribution adjusted to $550,000 after the amendment. Committee member 2 moved the motion and the motion was seconded; after discussion the board voted to approve forwarding the amended budget to the Selectmen for scheduling. The meeting record shows the motion passed and the board instructed staff to prepare materials for the town meeting.

The board also set a calendar expectation: the Selectmen will post a town meeting date consistent with required notification periods, and capital items will return to the board’s agenda for further consideration before final town action.