BATH — Voters in the five communities of Regional School Unit 1 on Tuesday ratified the fiscal 2012 budget.
The budget passed 555-194, according to preliminary results.
Bath voters approved the spending plan, 292-83. It passed 46-7 in Arrowsic, 59-17 in Phippsburg, 77-57 in West Bath and 81-30 in Woolwich.
“I think it shows overwhelming community support for public education,” RSU 1 Superintendent of Schools William Shuttleworth said Tuesday night.
The $25.6 million budget was initially approved in a town hall-style meeting last week.
Next year’s budget includes a 2.5 percent tax hike, boosting the levy by more than $413,000, to nearly $17 million. The budget itself will increase nearly 3 percent, or about $730,000.
Shuttleworth has cited a $1.1 million decline in state and federal revenues as a key reason behind the need for higher taxes.
The increase means Bath’s contribution will increase 4.36 percent to $8.1 million; Arrowsic’s will climb 4.83 percent to nearly $426,000; West Bath’s, 3.55 percent to $2.6 million, and Woolwich’s, 2.86 percent to $3.1 million.
Phippsburg’s tax burden will decrease 4.24 percent, to $2.7 million.
Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.
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