ELLSWORTH, Maine — Having heard from local voters, school officials have come up with another proposed annual school budget that is $135,000 less than its predecessor.
Last week, after local voters on June 9 had rejected the first proposed budget, the city’s school board voted 3-0 to recommend a new 2015-2016 municipal education budget of $19.78 million.
The previous proposal had been approved separately by the school board and then by the City Council prior to its defeat at the validation referendum.
The June 9 ballot results were 105 people in favor and 129 opposed. The number of people who successfully voted against the budget represent only 2.3 percent of the city’s registered voters. In total only 234 voters, or 4.2 percent of the city’s 5,534 registered voters, weighed in on the proposal, which was the only item up for consideration on the citywide municipal ballot.
The new annual budget proposal of $19.78 million is 2.2 percent higher than the 2014-15 budget of $19.35 million.
Ellsworth Schools Superintendent Daniel Higgins told the school board on June 18 that some personnel and computer/software costs are increasing from last year. But even if there were no increases in any line items, he said, the local appropriation for education would be expected to increase by $834,000 because of an expected decrease in state subsidies and tuition revenue.
Higgins said the prior proposed budget had been considered a “no frills” budget. The school department came up with an additional $135,000 reduction in the proposed budget by deciding not to fill an open social studies teacher position at Ellsworth High School, by shifting some funding sources from local property taxes to federal and grant programs, and by some reductions in energy and other anticipated expenses.
The City Council is expected to hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. Friday, June 26, in order to consider the city’s latest proposed schools budget. If the council gives its stamp of approval, the budget would go back before voters for another ballot referendum on Tuesday, July 7.
In an apparent reference to the low turnout at the June 9 validation vote, Higgins said Ellsworth residents should make every effort to cast ballots on the new proposal.
“We encourage any and all local voters to exercise their civic responsibility to get out there and vote,” Higgins said.
