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Budget referendum fails; Stafford leaders schedule special meetings to identify cuts
Summary
Voters rejected the town budget on June 23. Officials said the higher residential tax bills stem largely from a recent revaluation and that the Board of Finance and selectmen will meet in early July to identify possible cuts before a second referendum.
The town’s June 23 budget referendum failed, town leaders said at the June 30 joint meeting, leaving officials to weigh targeted cuts and procedural next steps ahead of a potential second vote.
Chair opened the meeting noting the referendum result and said the boards will consult the Board of Finance on July 2 and reconvene as needed on July 7 to review proposed reductions. “The budget has failed,” the Chair said, and the board agreed to delay any final decision until those follow-ups.
Why this matters: Finance staff told the board that a recent revaluation dramatically shifted the tax burden toward residential property owners even though total municipal spending has not increased in line with assessments. The finance presenter read category changes in the revaluation, saying residential assessed values rose approximately 66%, commercial about 29% and industrial roughly 28%, and added that apartments rose more than 100% in the town’s assessment sample. Officials emphasized that those assessment shifts — not additional town spending — explain much of the higher bills homeowners are seeing.
Officials described the mechanics for adjusting revenues and taxes if a revised budget passes: tax bills already mailed were produced using the prior approved mill rate; any future reduction agreed during the budget process would be escrowed and applied as required by state law to reduce next year’s levy.
Board members, selectmen and the finance director said they will pursue a mix of options to reduce spending, including shared services, departmental restructuring and grant opportunities, and pledged to present a dollar figure at an upcoming selectmen meeting. Mr. Sugarman (as introduced at the meeting) said he was working with selectmen on potential savings and would report back with specific proposals at the scheduled follow-ups.
The board scheduled a series of meetings in early July to reconcile possible cuts and to present revised options to the public; no final new budget figure was proposed at the June 30 session.
What’s next: The Board of Finance planned to meet July 2 and the selectmen will return to present budget adjustments on July 7. The board stressed it will publish detailed materials and clarifications before any further referendum so voters can see the specific tradeoffs under consideration.
