Second Vote On Budget Set For May 6

By Dottie Evans

All registered voters are asked to go to the polls again this coming Tuesday to cast their votes on the question of whether the proposed 2003–2004 combined town and education budget package in the amount of $79.7 million should be approved.

This will be the second budget vote, since the previous proposal at $80.7 million was defeated April 22 by a vote of 2,494 to 1,756. A total of 4,250 voters participated in the first referendum, which was 29 percent of the town’s registered voters.

As before, the referendum will be held in the gymnasium of Newtown Middle School on Queen Street between 6 am and 8 pm, and absentee ballots will be counted at that location at noon and at 6 pm.

Following the defeat of its first budget proposal, the Legislative Council voted unanimously April 23 to remove an additional $1 million from the bottom line. This reduction included a cut of $775,000 from the education budget and two line-item cuts from the town budget of $200,000 from funding for open space and $25,000 from Parks and Recreation for a skateboard park.

The removal of open space funds from the budget was accompanied by an agreement by members of the Board of Finance, the Legislative Council, and the Board of Selectmen that a new initiative would be pursued toward a significant increase in open space funding to offset the rate of development and the increased tax burden that development brings through demand for services.

If the budget is approved on Tuesday, the estimated mill rate will be 23.6.

If the budget is turned down a second time, it will go back to the Legislative Council and voters will be asked to vote again at a town meeting, by voice, by a show of hands, or by paper ballots. Citizens would also have the option of petitioning for a third referendum vote.

Any property owner who has been included on the October 2002 Grand List is already considered registered and may simply show up at the polls Tuesday. Any questions should be addressed to the registrars of voters at 270-4250, or the town clerk at 270-4210.

Only United States citizens who are taxpaying residents of Newtown or who live elsewhere but own property in Newtown are eligible to vote.