The voters attending the first step in the RSU 12 budget validation process, Aug. 12 in Whitefield, approved a 2013-14 budget of $26.4 million. The second step in adopting the budget is a validation vote scheduled in the participating towns on Sept. 10.
Although the revised budget received approval, it was clear the voters were not pleased with the new budget or with the action by the RSU 12 Board of Directors.
“I hope we can adopt a budget the taxpayers will approve,” Superintendent Howard Tuttle said, when making his presentation on the proposed budget.
There was no shortage of participation from the taxpayers in the RSU towns during the nearly 2.5 hour meeting.
Chelsea Selectman Richard Danforth told the board, “You are asking us to accept the same budget that was rejected by the voters in June, with a $116,000 decrease.
RSU 12 Board Chairman Hilary Holm explained the budget decrease is $116,000. However, there is a reduction of $445,000 in the assessments to the towns, due to additional revenues the RSU will receive, Holm said.
E. Davies Allan from Westport Island asked the superintendent how he felt about losing a half a person, (referring to the .5 reduction in the assistant superintendent’s position) and granting the union raises for the teachers.
“This forces cuts in areas painful for the students,” Allan said.
He also asked if the population of students had increased or decreased since RSU 12 has been formed. He was told the student count had decreased by 97 students.
“That’s interesting, we have 97 less students, and the budget continues to climb,” Allan said.
Another resident asking for anonymity said, “You are putting the wishes of the board first, and the wishes of the taxpayers second. It is disrespectful to come before us with this budget. I will make every effort for you to do this again,” he said.
Another resident said, “You are putting the teachers first, and the students second.”
RSU 12 board member Richard DeVries told the taxpayers, the board was making a focused effort on ways to save money this coming year.
Whitefield Selectman Lester Schaeffer told the board members they are not telling the truth in their efforts to develop a budget. “You are not being aggressive enough; you need to be more aggressive. You have a new layer of administration you do not need,” he said.
One resident defended the RSU Board, saying that they were elected volunteers who worked hard, and should be respected for what they are trying to do.
Danforth said, “I am an elected town officer and my duty is to listen to the people that elected me.”
Another issue the board faced during the budget meeting was the decision by Augusta to no longer transport Chelsea students to Cony High School.
Chelsea resident Lisa Goulette asked the board members what they were going to do regarding the transportation of about 60 students that tuition to Cony High School.
According to Holm, the City of Augusta had previously had a contact with Chelsea to transport the students and that contract expired in June. Efforts to renew the contract have been unsuccessful.
The board also informed Goulette the RSU board doesn’t pay to transport tuition-paying students. The tuition towns usually provide the transportation.
The RSU provides transportation to the Wiscasset High School for their students.
“That is insane, you will not pay for the students to travel a mile or two, but you pay to take them to Wiscasset,” Goulette said
Article 1, Regular Instruction school board recommended $12,128,767, a motion was made to amend the article to $12,097,206. The motion to amend failed, and the motion passed with the recommendation of the RSU board;
Article 2, Special education school board recommendation $4,509,028, a motion was made to decrease that amount by $30,000. The motion to amend failed and the motion passed with the recommendation of the RSU board;
The following articles passed with no discussion: Article 3, for technical education ($217,051), Article 4, for other instruction ($229,309); Article 5, for staff and student support ($1,483,883); Article 6, for system administration ($662,378); and Article 7, for school administration ($1,227,083);
Article 8, Transportation and Buses; the school committee recommended $1,609,257. A motion was made to increase the amount to include the cost of providing bus transportation to Chelsea High School students to Cony High School.
Goulette, who made the motion, was told by the moderator she could amend the motion to increase the dollar amount.
She asked the RSU Board what the cost would be. RSU Board Member Jerry Nault offered an estimate of 180 days at $150 per day at a cost of $27,000.
Goulette made a motion to increase the amount by $27,000. The motion to amend did not get a second. “Thanks for the support, RSU 12,” Goulette said. The amount recommended by the school board ($1,609,257) passed.
Article 9, Facilities Maintenance school committee recommended $2,340,595. There were two motions to amend the amount; one to decrease it by $28,000 which failed, and another motion to increase it by $146,000.
The motion to increase the article by $146,000 was made to bring back into the budget a deferment of maintenance projects. This motion required a hand count by the moderator and failed 37-27. The original article passed with the $2,340,595 recommendation of the school committee
Article 10, for debt service ($1,937,854), passed, no discussion.
Article 11, Other Expenses, school committee recommended $50,000, article passed.
Article 12, total amounts appropriated to the eight towns, $21,157,354.11. Total amounts assessed to the eight towns $10,641,599.31, passed with no discussion.
Article 13, Debt service recommended at $52,055.72, passed, no discussion
Article 14, requesting approval to exceed the state’s Essential Program and Services funding in the amount of $4,330,794 was approved in a secret ballot vote.
Article 15, summarizing the proposed budget of $26,395,204 also passed but not until a motion to decrease the amount failed.
The budget approved at the Aug. 12 meeting will be the operating budget used until a budget is adopted by a town-wide vote in the RSU 12 towns: Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Westport Island, Windsor, Whitefield, Somerville and Wiscasset.
