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Newcastle holds public hearing on whether future budgets should be decided by ballot
Summary
At a public hearing, residents and select board members debated a proposal to ask voters whether future annual municipal budgets should be decided by ballot referendum rather than at an in‑person town meeting, citing much higher turnout for past ballot votes and concerns about fiscal‑year timing and public engagement.
A public hearing in Newcastle on March 24 opened discussion about a ballot question asking whether future annual municipal budgets should be decided by referendum instead of at the traditional in‑person town meeting.
Town staff said turnout for ballot votes in recent years was substantially higher than attendance at town meetings: 362 and 336 voters in recent years versus 38 and 54 people at town meetings. The manager said placing the decision on the ballot would let the town ask residents each year whether they prefer a ballot vote for the next fiscal cycle.
The hearing centered on two practical concerns: whether the town’s fiscal year timing makes a March town meeting impractical and how to preserve meaningful public engagement. A staff member explained the town now closes its fiscal year June 30, which means a March meeting would often occur before key school budget numbers are available. "If we were to attempt to hold an open annual town meeting in March we'd be doing it without really good data," the official said.
Residents urged alternatives and safeguards. Kevin (Mills Road) asked whether moving the town meeting date back to March or April had been considered and suggested additional public hearings and an online Q&A to give voters time to review budget line items. Board members said the select board would design the ballot language and that, if voters reject the change in a future vote, the town would remain with the status quo. The manager said the proposal under consideration would let residents vote on the procedure for the next year rather than immediately changing the meeting format.
Board members and staff described steps to preserve public engagement if the referendum route is chosen: a series of budget workshops before the vote, publicly posted materials and a plan to group community provider funding as a separate warrant article so voters can consider it independently. The manager committed to additional outreach, including a Q&A feature on the town website during the budget review period.
The select board closed the hearing at 7:54 p.m. and will decide whether to place the ballot question on the upcoming ballot after finalizing wording and schedule. The board scheduled additional meetings to finalize the warrant and said school budget numbers will be sought to complete municipal budget estimates.
