Where are the voters?

Kennebec Journal, May 12, 2008

(excerpt) The school-budget referendums are part of a new school budget-approval process signed into law last year as part of Maine's sweeping school-district consolidation bill.

Following budget approval by school board members, the law requires that each school district hold budget meetings where residents accept, reject or change the board's plan.

The law then requires a separate, town-wide referendum vote.

If voters reject the budget at any stage, planning starts again -- from the beginning.

A vote on Tuesday in Anson, Embden, New Portland and Solon -- the towns of School Administrative District 74 -- drew approximately 11 percent of voters. A majority of those who appeared at the polls accepted their school board's recommended budget.

In Auburn, fewer than 6 percent of voters showed up at the polls Tuesday to approve that school system's 2008-09 budget.

When Farmingdale and Hallowell voters on May 2 accepted their school board's proposed budget at the polls, just 4 percent of the school district's voters turned out.

"It was a very slow, very long day," Hallowell Deputy City Clerk Diane Polky said.

Superintendent Donald Siviski estimated the referendum cost the school system $3,000 to $4,000, as districts must reimburse towns for polling costs.