The End of the Budget Saga
- Theresa Cramer
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 1
Apparently, the fourth time is a charm.
Stafford finally has an approved budget. A vote of 680 to 620 maintained the current mill rate (38.59) but cut the actual dollar amount spent to $47,292,174, which is more than $70,000 less than last year's budget. The approved budget represents a cut of $1,930,442 from the first referendum, which put forth a budget $49,222,616.
I think it's worth noting that the budgeting process for next year begins, more or less, as soon as the current year's budget is approved. If you have thoughts about how to reduce the budget responsibly, don't wait until you're asked to vote. Start paying attention and reaching out now.
So, where do these cuts leave Stafford?
Cuts have consequences, and the school system has borne the brunt of those, as it also has the most significant share of the budget. In its most recent iteration, the approved school budget is $30,562,853. 91. That is down from $31,085,854.91 the year before, which includes $490,000 moved from the school budget to the town budget. That money is meant for solar payment leases. The bigger impact comes from the remaining $523,001. All in all, the schools are seeing a decrease of 1.68%.
These decreases have led the schools to eliminate a number of positions. While many of those were empty positions (a spending freeze meant the district could not replace staff that left), some people have lost their jobs. That includes two English teachers, a librarian, and a multi-language learning teacher. (See the complete list below.)
On the town side, the adjustments needed to reduce the budget were less dramatic. They have chipped away at some departmental budgets, found savings in insurance budget lines, and other line items that don't impact staffing. It's worth noting that, typically, the budget optimistically assumes there will only be one referendum. Hence, everything beyond the first is an unexpected expense, and the funds need to be found elsewhere in the budget. According to numbers provided by Selectman Rick Hartenstein, the most recent referendum cost an estimated $4,555. With similar costs for the rest of the referenda, the town has spent more than $18,000 on these votes.
Results of previous referendums
Results of June 3 referendum - 752 (YES) 971 (NO)
Results of April 29 referendum - 631 (YES) 1445 (NO)
Results of April 8 referendum - 671 (YES) 1664 (NO)
