BIDDEFORD — Biddeford residents will vote tomorrow on a $32.9 million education budget that remained unchanged after it and the city budget were vetoed by Mayor Alan Casavant.
Casavant vetoed the combined $59.9 million budgets June 7, five days before the $32.9 million education budget was slated to go to voters for approval. He said he was concerned about adding $1.33 to the property tax rate.
The school budget referendum, required by state law, was rescheduled to tomorrow. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the J. Richard Martin Community Center.
The city council last week approved a combined $59.7 million budget, leaving intact the previously approved school budget. Councilors cut $170,000 from the city side of the budget.
Finance Director Curt Koehler said cuts made by the council included $100,000 from the capital budget, $50,000 from general assistance, $15,000 from McArthur Public Library and $5,000 from textbook and testing materials for private St. James School.
If the school budget passes, the combined budgets will require the addition of $1.26, or more than 8 percent, to the city’s property tax rate. That equates to a $252 increase on the tax bill of a $200,000 home.
Casavant said he wanted to see the budget reduced by $500,000, including $330,000 from the education budget. Those cuts wouldn’t have negatively affected the schools, he said.
“(The council cuts) really didn’t affect the mil rate very much,” he said.
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