All articles on the 2009-’10 Jefferson School budget passed as recommended without so much as a whimper from the approximate 30 people in attendance at the open town meeting on May 27. The meeting at the Jefferson Village School gymnasium lasted roughly 30 minutes as voters waved through most of the 17 articles by hand count.
The budget, reflecting a $348,698 cut in state and federal subsidies, asked Jefferson voters for $4,141,201. The budget grand total is $5232 less than what was allocated for the current year ($4,146,433).
The local increase to Jefferson taxpayers comes to 12.86 percent, making up for the loss in subsidy.
Jefferson selectmen said the budget voting process was such an uneventful and speedy affair due to the work hashed out during previous meetings. What also helped, said School Committee chair Bob Westrich, was the fact that there were no contentious articles on the ballot. The School and Budget committees agreed on all of their recommendations, unlike some previous years, Westrich said.
Jefferson citizens will cast a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ referendum vote on June 9 for the proposed 2009-’10 Jefferson School budget, which was approved in its entirety at the May 27 meeting.
Jefferson town officials said the tax rate will be set after the school budget validation vote and after they sew the school and town budgets together.
