#MIDDLEBURY #SOUTHBURY
Middlebury’s town budget was defeated Wednesday, May 4, by 11 votes. Votes for the budget totaled 646. Votes against the budget totaled 657.
The Region 15 school budget passed with a combined Middlebury/Southbury vote of 2,357 for the budget and 1,594 against it.
Middlebury voters turned it down with 785 against it and 514 for it. Southbury approved it with 1,843 for it and 809 against it.
The Middlebury Board of Finance (BoF), meeting after the votes were tallied, agreed to have a special meeting Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room to vote on a new budget amount to present to the voters. Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner told the BoF the town charter requires them to have another budget referendum two weeks from the date of the original vote.
BoF Chairman Bill Stowell said he would ask town department chairs to look at their budgets to see what cuts they can make. Those cuts will be discussed Tuesday night.
First Selectman Edward B. St. John said “We’re back to the drawing board. We’ll come back with an adjusted budget. I’m sure we can get approval.” He said this wasn’t the first time the town has had to go back and make budget cuts before voters would approve the town budget.
