South Portland voters on Tuesday approved by a wide margin a proposed $47.7 million school budget for 2016-17 that’s $1.6 million, or 3.4 percent, higher than this year’s $46.1 million spending plan.
The vote was 861-446, with 1,318, or 7 percent, of 19,170 registered voters going to the polls, said City Clerk Emily Carrington.
The municipal, school and county budget proposals total $82.7 million for fiscal 2017, which is $2.8 million, or 3.5 percent, higher than the fiscal year ending June 30, according to municipal and school budget documents. The total amount to be raised through property taxes is about $61 million, which is a $1 million, or 1.7 percent, increase over the current tax levy.
If the municipal budget is approved as proposed, the tax rate would increase 41 cents, or 2.35 percent, from $17.40 to $17.81 per $1,000 of assessed property value. At that rate, the annual tax bill on a $300,000 home would increase $123, from $5,220 to $5,343.
The vote was 862-433 to continue holding annual school budget referendums for the next three years.
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CORRECTION: This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. June 15, 2016, to correct the impact on the tax rate.
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