Registered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.
BOE Referendum, Round Two, UnderwayRegistered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.Registered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.All voting is again taking place at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street. Polls opened at 6 am and will remain open until 8 pm.Following a rejection of the school budget by 507 votes at a referendum on April 23, the Legislative Council at its April 29 meeting slashed $1,408,307 from the Board of Education’s proposed 2024-25 budget.The reduction was unanimously approved by all 12 councilmen, in contrast to a previous, pre-referendum meeting on March 27, where no bottom line for the school budget drew more than a simple majority of seven votes.The new bottom line of $87,409,066 is a $2,339,415 or 2.75% spending increase over the 2023-24 budget, which places it in line with the municipal budget, which was passed by voters.The previous proposed 2024-25 BOE budget rejected by voters was $88,817,373, which would have been a $3,747,722 or 4.4% spending increase.The education budget failed, 1,701 No votes to 1,194 Yes votes.On the secondary question to the education budget — If the proposed sum for the Board of Education is not approved, should the revised budget be higher? — the responses were 727 Yes and 2,071 No.The Registrar of Voters reported 15.1% of Newtown’s registered voters participated in the April 23 referendum, with 2,952 people showing up at the middle school to vote and another 47 turning in absentee ballots.
The Legislative Council authorized a reduction of $1.4 million from the Board of Education budget's increase, and the new budget will go out to referendum on May 14.
Barbara was a mentor to me in my youth. I learned many things from this loving , sweet lady. May God bless Rudy and the kids.
Rest in peace Barbara.
Cheryl Booth Hornal
WA. State
We are not investigative reporters. We've never claimed to be. We cover meetings, write features, and do other very good work for this town.
We're not doing any less than when John Voket was Editor (nor any of his predecessors). Sorry we're not doing enough for you.
-SH
Well, Shannon, its a good thing that my post didn't mention "everything" from print being published online. I do note, however, that you didn't address the main point of my initial comment, that as of the paper of record for the town you might actually publish information from the majority of the Town's Commissions and Boards online. Its not like there is hard hitting investigative journalism in these stories; they're really just a regurgitation of the meetings minutes. John Voket used to post these types of stories on the Bee's website, even if the updates were several weeks in arrears.
For what its worth, I didn't miss any of those stories as I am a subscriber (that's how I knew about it in the first place). However, many people in town who aren't subscribers did miss those stores and otherwise have no idea because its clearly not a priority for the Bee to post them online anymore. Fortunately, however, your online readers are fully informed of the First Selectman's ability to bake sour dough bread.
I for one was glad to her that the entrance would be off Johnnie Cake Lane, having more traffic at the flag pole would be painful (plus it's further from my house).
There are many considerations as it relates to the development of the Castle Hill property as noted. I am supportive of the proposal and to approval process as it is sensitive to concerns being raised. The proposal provides another housing and lifestyle option for long time residents and newcomers with great accessibility to town. The developer is a long time resident with a solid reputation and the best interest of town at heart. It is not wise to make gross assumptions but I would think it would be a net positive (will attract empty nesters) to the tax base versus incremental town costs required. Net positive tax base growth supports continued investment in our great school system. Working in partnership with historical groups, bike and trails, the borough and others could actually add another great part of our amazing town.