07/15/08
Absentee balloting at Town Hall
for July 22 school budget validation referendum
Absentee voting is underway at Town Hall beginning today, July 15, 2008,
for the July 22 citizen validation referendum of the 2008-09 Cape Elizabeth
school budget.
Town Councilors, at their meeting July 14, voted 5-1 to adopt a school budget
of $19.9 million, an increase of 6 percent over this year's school budget.
Voters who received absentee ballots prior to today may turn them in to Town
Hall beginning today. Voting will continue at Town Hall during office hours
until Monday, July 21.
A school budget increase of 4.6 percent adopted by the council in May was
rejected by Cape voters on June 10, the first budget validation vote held
in Cape Elizabeth under the state's new school consolidation law.
Polls will be open for the second validation vote on Tuesday, July 22, at
Cape Elizabeth High School from 7 a.m.- 8 p.m.
For more information or for absentee ballots, please contact Town Clerk Ruth
Noble, 767-7473. Click here to download
application for absentee ballot (pdf)
The school budget, if it passes validation, would add 65 cents to the tax
rate for education over this year's rate. The total tax increase would come
to $1.08 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, bringing the rate to $17.54, an
increase of 6.58 percent.
At the June 10 validation election, 1,891 voted against the $19.7 million
budget first adopted by the council, compared to 1,250 voting for the budget.
In an advisory vote, 1,638, said they believed the 4.6 percent increase was
too low, while 1,110 said they believed it was too high.
At the July 22 election, voters will again have an opportunity to say whether
they believe the adopted school budget is too low or too high.
The July 22 validation ballot will read:
Do you favor approving the Town of Cape Elizabeth school budget for the upcoming
school year that was adopted at the latest school budget meeting of the town
council?
YES ___
NO ___
Advisory Question of Cape Elizabeth School Budget:
The following is a non-binding expression of opinion for the consideration
of the School Board and Town Council.
I find the school budget adopted at the July 14, 2008 Town Council’s
school budget meeting to be:
TOO HIGH _____
TOO LOW _____
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