2009- 2010 School Budget Passed

ARTICLE 02. Shall the Town School District vote to adopt a budget for the school year ending June 30, 2010 including an appropriation of a sum of money for the support of schools with provisions for current expenses, capital improvements, a deficit if any, and for other lawful purposes?

St. Johnsbury resdidents got together for their 219th Town Meeting on Monday night, March 2nd. The big debate was about the school's annual budget. The school board proposed raising the budget to nearly $15 million, which is a 2.4 percent increase over last years budget. That sparked some discussion.

"Then it's not an old fashioned Town Meeting. All the more reason to have Australian Ballot." A plumber by trade, Tony Greenwood didn't think taxpayers could afford the increase because of the bad economy. "I am opposed to the budget primarily because the community can't afford it and it's not just that. It's the entire economy this year. The condition that the economy is in. I think it's time for everybody to be level funded and cut back if at all you can. We just lost Lydall Westtech. That's $8 million out of the local economy and then other jobs that are affiliated with it. So that number there can snowball to a much greater number and then there's other businesses that are falling left and right."

Others didn't like the 2.4 percent school budget increase, but eventually voted for it. Mark Finn, a retired analog technician, was one of those voters. "I think it's slightly too high. I'm not dead set against it. The motion that I made was for level funding and on one scenario we make. Under the scenario two we miss it by two cents. It's not a huge increase in tax burden, but I would have liked to see my motion pass. It would have guaranteed a little funding for our homestead property tax."

The majority thought the money was a good investment in St. Johnsbury's children. Th 90 minute debate ended with the passage of the nearly $15 million budget on a vote of 155 to 93.