RANGELEY – On Monday, a recount of the voting results for the Rangeley Lakes Regional School renovation project reaffirmed the outcome of the Oct. 13 referendum by a slightly wider margin.
Residents approved a $5.1 million renovation construction project by just three votes of a total 551 cast in the first ballot count just three votes.
The second recount held Monday night approved the project by a difference of six votes, with a total ballot count of 279 to 273.
On Oct. 20, a petition circulated by James Carignan was filed, resulting in the recount of ballot question one, the $5.1 million option.
Voters had two options to decide at the ballot. The first, which was approved by voters during both counts, proposed spending an estimated $5,144,746 to renovate the school building to be in alignment with Americans with Disability Act and various safety and security code upgrades also required of a public building.
The second option, which voters rejected by a margin of more than 2-1, with an estimated price tag of $10 million, proposed adding a new 9,745 square foot gymnasium, new locker rooms, storage and an athletics office, to be included along with the first option’s renovations.
The Regional School Unit 78 board of directors supervised the recount of ballots, as the town clerks from Rangeley and the plantations of Dallas, Sandy River, Magalloway, and Rangeley, did the actual counting and kept possession of the ballots at all times, said Jay McIntire, interim RSU 78 superintendent.
“The school board, petitioner Carignan, school officials, and members of the public also observed. The process lasted about two and a half hours, with much discussion about voided ballots, disputed ballots, and how elections are run and ballot security is maintained,” he said.
After each clerk recounted her town’s ballots and these were affirmed by the other clerks, the final tally showed that the voters approved the $5.1 million renovations by a margin of six votes, 279 to 273.
“There was only one ballot about which the clerks disagreed, not enough to overcome the margin of passage. There were 12 ballots that were uncountable because the voter left question one blank or left marks that were indeterminate. All five of the clerks agreed that these ballots were uncountable and void,” McIntire said.
“The project itself will not be visible until at least next summer, as there are many steps between voter approval and groundbreaking,” he added.
With 190 students, hat’s $27,077.- per student and with a population of 1,168: $4,404.- per capita.
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. A Quality Education costs money. Our children deserve it! We had it, so should they.