The RSU 9 budget validation vote appears to have passed this evening, by a total vote of 1,552 in favor and 1,174 opposed.
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Voters in the 10 towns that comprise the Regional School Unit 9 school district went to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots on a $35.5 million budget.
That budget, approved on May 7 at the district-wide budget meeting, would represent an increase of $1.9 million over the current fiscal year or 5.68 percent. New items in the budget include teaching and support positions, staff and support for the Pathways for All Learners program and funds donated by Richard Bjorn to benefit the Foster Career & Technical Education Center.
In total, not including Bjorn’s donation and some other miscellaneous funds, the budget would be funded by roughly $13.3 million from local town assessments and $21 million from the state allocation, an increase of $750,000. It would result in a 6.25 percent increase in local assessments.
The validation referendum asked voters if they either support or reject the budget set at the district-wide meeting. A ‘yes’ vote confirms the budget for the next fiscal year, a ‘no’ vote rejects it, effectively restarting the process.
Results were posted here as they came in Tuesday evening:
Chesterville: 71 yes, 158 no
Farmington: 690 yes, 329 no
Industry: 74 yes, 65 no
New Sharon: 119 yes, 161 no
New Vineyard: 34 yes, 82 no
Starks: 83 yes, 15 no
Temple: 64 yes, 56 no
Vienna: 69 yes, 30 no
Weld: 31 yes, 41 no
Wilton: 317 yes, 237 no
Total (final): 1,552 yes, 1,174 no
I would like to know when and where this plant sale is going to be held, Nancy .. Good for you for doing something besides just complaining about outrageous taxes. I’d also love to see that historic information be purchased and preserved that has been complied. Maybe she would like to tell us how much she would charge to share her hard work.
Perhaps special savings for all No voters??? Keep saying, and doing what you do, it wouldn’t be you if you didn’t voice your opinion. If the yes voters don’t get it, they never will.
Keep doing and saying what you want Nancy, when the taxes get too high maybe another Wal-Mart or a Piggley Wiggley will buy up all properties and hire the poor as people greeters, and oh yes they will be able to wear pajamas good luck with your sale. PS, Save me a copy of your history book!
Taxed enough there is miscommunication in my conversation with Sammy because the end of my last comment was supposed to be a seperate paragraph. I was t saying Sammy was being rude I was referring to the way people were talking to Nancy and others. I will not put a long speal on here in a comment so if anyone wants to talk in person or on the phone about this my email is jsillanpaa@mtbluersd.org
I’m convinced people on both sides are well intentioned and trying to be pragmatic. It’s easy to demonize one side as “wanting to spend, spend, spend” and the other as “wanting to deny our kids a quality education,” but really….there are differences of opinion about whether the spending is reasonable or needed, and why. If we don’t demonize or caricature each other, and instead respect each other, we can try to make next year one where we can find real common ground. We’re better than the shouting heads on cable TV. Let’s say no to personal attacks and yes to listening – on all sides.
Jesse,
I respect that you are trying to be professional, but there might be something that you don’t see that you are doing on here. Repeatedly asking people to communicate with you one-on-one implies that you have things to say about others or about the issue that you can’t say in public. I believe a board member should act and speak publicly when in their role. Everyone has side conversations and “meetings after the meeting,” but actually stating that publicly… is strange. What secrets do you have that you need to email back and forth that you can’t say on the Daily Bulldog or at the meetings? You were a prolific Daily Bulldog’er before; what has happened? You don’t like grandstanding (anymore)? Do you want to be a part of the public conversation or don’t you? You went so far as getting elected so I am guessing that you do.
Hey Scott. Most of us are working harder, making less and expected to pay more every year. Please tell me how we can sustain that even for another year ? Small business owners are killing themselves to keep up with your generosity pace to RSU-9 !! Get that budget under control please. We all have needs!!!
This is all political. These socialists will take everyones money for SELF PRESERVATION. without people who want to do nothing but live off others, socialists wouldn’t exist. The nanny state our schools now teach and push on kids today only make things worse.
Socialism dosent work, its been proven around the world. If you want to stop it , show people how hard work and values at home are the way to better lives. Show kids its ok if you fail or dont win that game. Try harder ,figure out a better way. All of US as successful parents had parents that would have ! Old is not always old, but usually better.
Hey, Bend — remember when Trump was wanting immigrants to come here from Norway? And the news from Norway was “why would anyone from Norway want to go to the US”? Guess what —- Norway is socialist. As is Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands and more of the most prosperous and content nations of the world. England, France and Germany are pretty darn socialist too, and there’s a lot of that in Canada. Apparently socialism CAN work, and many nations prove it clearly.
Stop listening to the drivel on Fox and maybe see things a wee bit clearer.
Is ” pretty darn socialist ” as close as ” almost pregnant “?
Ben is misinformed. Of the top 20 most happy,prosperous countries with the highest standard of living,they are mostly socialist. You won’t hear that from the angry millionaires on talk radio Creep Shows.
If in a booming economy people are working harder and making less, something is wrong. Maybe it’s only the very wealthy getting the benefits of a booming economy? If that’s the case, anger about a school budget is very misplaced! Anyway, the last two budgets before this one the district asked for less money overall from property tax payers. This year there was more ,but it’s still not much more than back in 2015. There haven’t been huge tax increases due to the school budget the last three years – this year there will be, but it will likely be not too much. We have lower cost per pupil. I think what people mistake the bottom line increase for what is being asked of property tax payers. That is not the case. The bottom line increase includes a lot of mandates from the state that the state reimburses us for, as well as gifts and reimbursement on school construction debt payoff. So I think you have a false premise, Calamity.
Bend – bureaucratic socialism of the kind the Soviet Union had doesn’t work. I’m in Berlin, Germany now, actually teaching students about how that system collapsed (we went to a museum of the DDR to see what everyday life was like in communism.) That system was horrific, and nobody wants that and nobody is trying to get that. But Chief is right – here in Germany they have prosperity, a booming economy, and a much stronger social welfare system than ours. Their working class is not losing out, as they tax the wealthier at a higher rate, and have strong unions. That isn’t really socialism (they still have market economies), but these systems are working very well. Bend, you seem to have fallen for a propaganda trick of labeling the opponent and demonizing them. Reality is far more complex, and democracy depends on compromise and cooperation.
Scott, ” bureaucratic socialism of the kind the Soviet Union had doesn’t work. ” Then you go on to say that the system that is working really well ” That isn’t really socialism (they still have market economies), ”
The countries you, David and Chief speak of are quite a bit different in many other ways. Culture, immigration, politics, etc
I totally agree that we could learn a lot from some of the systems they use, but the USA is just very different in so many ways, it would be difficult to implement.
Happy and safe travels!!
@OMG – you are blind if you don’t think there are a group on the board who message back and forth about their differences with other board members, students or others. You are blind if you don’t think they run to others in the community. I know first hand. @Jesse – you are doing just fine in asking that person to message you since they asked about your own business info too – you are after all entitled to your own personal life. @scott – you say “let’s say no to personal attacks and yes to listening – on all sides” so I sure hope you feel that way about all issues being addressed and not just budget. @the school board – Like high school, work places even the board has cliques and so please remember that when addressing things concerning children & teens who have nothing to hide by being themselves and open but lots to lose when sharing everything with people. Thank you.
@Scott Erb….but Germany pretty much would have to rely on capitalist countries to bale them out in case of war.
@OMG the reason I ask people to email me is I refuse to put a three page comment on here nor do I think it would get published. I don’t have the time to type it all in here on my cell phone screen because unlike most people on here with there fake names I dont have a computer at my house. If you have a problem with me talking to people outside in the parking lot after the meetings you should come over to our little group and see what it is we are talking about. Otherwise you can email me at jsillanpaa@mtbluersd.org and we can talk in person or by phone that’s what one other commenter here has done. I have asked a number of folks to do so and Dulles took the time to reach out instead of criticizing anyone.
\ALL those countries mentioned can spend , govern, legislate or whatever because they have the security and luxury of being protected by you know who. Maybe next time around it will be different. Maybe we should stop all foreign aid and keep it for our own. Hey, Scott Erb, if you read this and are so inclined, would you do me a favor and research the background of the teachers as a whole in Germany. I was told that a large percentage of the teachers in Germany and China are ex- military. True or not true? Thanks , Bob Millay
Maniac. Sorry to burst your bubble but we have sold about 28%, since 2002, of our National debt to China (Which is a communist Country) to pay for the “War on Terror” since 2002. And, the current admin wants to increase military spending by 54 billion while cutting domestic spending on things like… public schools. Seems we are already a Capitalist Country that has to borrow from other countries to pay for our wars.
Billyjoebob – you’re absolutely right, there are a lot of differences, it’s complex to compare.
Mainiac – Germany is a capitalist country (indeed, they have one of the strongest economies on the planet), and the Europeans have the best equipped and trained militaries in the world, behind only the US. Who is going to challenge them to a war?
Bob – Most male teachers in Germany did serve in the military because until a few years ago there was mandatory service. It was only ten months, but everyone had to do it (or they could do 18 months of civilian service). That was changed awhile back, but most German males I know did serve in the military. We had some interesting discussions about whether or not mandatory conscription is a good thing. Otherwise, teachers in Germany are very well paid compared to those in the US (I have a few teacher friends). Schools are NOT funded via property taxes by localities but by federal and state money. They don’t have these kind of budget battles. They also don’t have as much local control of their schools.
Samo – I wouldn’t call China Communist – their economic strategy is more state capitalist. But they do call themselves communist, so…
It is time that all on the D.B. acknowledge ,thank those school directors who not only serve the community at meetings, but also devote many hours answering to the rest of us on this media, namely Craig,Scott, Jesse, and anyone I may have missed. Seems that most of the others don’t care, or don’t know!?
Thanks go to Jesse, Craig, Scott and anyone I missed on the board who not only devote their time at meetings, but also give us hours in answering all the questions and comments directed at them on this media. Seems the others don’t care or don’t know the answers.
@Chief Jay Strongbow….The same can be said for CNN, MSNBC and the three networks. I for one watch OAN. If you have Directv check it out.
@Samo, @Scott Erb…My “handle” is spelled Maineiac