Scant turnout gives nod on $37.7M SAD 60 budget

SAD 60 School Supt. Steven Connolly (Courtesy photo)

NORTH BERWICK, Maine - In what was thought to be the lowest Lebanon voter turnout in recent history, residents on Tuesday approved a $37.7 million SAD 60 school budget along with North Berwick and Berwick, which followed suit with scant turnouts and budgetary nods.

In Lebanon the vote to affirm the budget was 79-62, with just 141 total votes cast. Meanwhile, in North Berwick, the vote was 101-28 while in Berwick, it was 281-154. The 141 Lebanon votes represent about a 10 percent turnout.

The new budget is a little over 4 percent over last year’s $36.2 million budget. However, revenues were up, so the overall increase in tax burden to the three towns was up just .59 percent, about $95,600.

Of that increase, Lebanon’s portion was up about $40,000, North Berwick’s rose about $25,000 and Berwick’s increased some $30,300.

SAD 60 Schools Supt. Steven Connolly noted today that attendance at the School Budget Hearing was much lower this year with just 65 or so in attendance last week, while some 300 attended last year’s meeting, which came as the district was struggling with federal and state aid cuts and facing school staff RIFs in all three towns.