Preston Board of Finance cuts $20,000 from school budget for third referendum attempt
Preston — The Board of Finance on Thursday cut $20,000 from the proposed $11.238 million 2016-17 school budget in a third attempt to win voter approval at a referendum.
The budget will be presented at a July 14 town meeting, which will be adjourned to a referendum on July 26.
The proposed $11.238 million budget failed by five votes at the second referendum on June 21 after the Board of Finance cut $100,000 from the initial proposed budget.
Finance board members wrestled with possible cuts Thursday during a special joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen.
Finance board member Melissa Lennon urged the board to try to work together with the school board to reach a budget that would win voter support.
The Board of Education last week to cut $10,000 from the budget, a reduction that would eliminate about a third of the extracurricular activities, Superintendent John Welch said.
Finance board member Jerry Grabarek proposed cutting $20,000 from the school budget, for a new total of $11.218 million, approved 4-1 by the finance board, with member Kenneth Zachem voting against the new figure.
Finance board Chairman Norman Gauthier initially proposed a new total of $11.198 million, saying he calculated the figure by adding 1 percent to the current school budget, plus enough to cover high school tuition and increases in contracted salaries.
His proposal did not come to a vote, as Grabarek's proposed cut was approved.
The finance board also considered whether to set a 2016-17 tax rate prior to the third school budget referendum, but postponed action on that item.
Instead Gauthier asked that both the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education provide a list of essential spending items for the month of July at its July 12 regular meeting.
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