Editor's Note: Due to a reporter's error, the wrong figure was used in the headline and story to describe Cape Elizabeth's proposed 2009 school budget. The figure is $19.7 million. The $31 million figure cited is the combined municipal and school budget.


By Nate Jones
Staff Writer


While many Mainers will travel to polling places to cast votes in the state primary elections June 10, Cape Elizabeth residents will also vote in an unprecedented school budget validation referendum. The two-question ballot will ask voters to approve the school budget – weighing in at approximately $19.7 million – and whether they think the proposed budget is too high or too low.
“I’d be happy to get any kind of feedback,” Town Councilor Anne Swift-Kayatta said of the advisory portion of the ballot.
Although the ballot itself will not provide voters with specific numbers, some residents have been vocal in their opposition to the proposed 4.6 percent increase in the school budget, as was recommended by the town council finance committee and narrowly approved by the council with a 4 to 3 vote with councilors Jim Rowe, Anne Swift-Kayatta and Sara Lennon in the minority on Tuesday.
Rowe and Swift-Kayatta said they voted against the proposed school budget because they believe the increase is too high.
“I can’t control food or oil costs, but as a town councilor I can attempt to control rapidly increasing property taxes,” Rowe said.
Lennon said she agreed with the nearly 100 residents who showed their support for increasing the school budget up to 6 percent at a budget public hearing May 12 – as was endorsed by the school board – rather than 4.6 percent increase.
“A 4.6 percent increase sends the signal loud and clear, ‘We do not support excellence in education,” resident Debbie Fisher said at the public hearing.
In addition to approving the school budget allowing no more than a 4.6 percent increase in the school budget, approximately $864,000 more than last year’s total, the council approved expenditures which will not be subject to a referendum, including a 3.3 percent increase in the municipal budget, approximately $287,000 more than last year’s total. They also approved increasing the budget by $2,000 with a 4 to 3 vote with Swift, Lynch and David Backer in the minority in a last minute effort to provide funding for the Cape Elizabeth Arts Commission. Last year the commission received $3,000 for their annual budget.
“I don’t think they should be exempt from the cuts, but eliminating their entire budget may be an overreaction,” Rowe said. “We may have underestimated the effects the Arts Commission has on the community.”
Combined with a 7 percent increase in county assessment and more than a 10 percent increase for community services, the town council approved budget could increase local property taxes by 5.5 percent, or 88 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, according to documents prepared by Town Manager Michael McGovern.
Throughout the last few meetings on the budget,  Swift-Kayatta has reminded the public that should the school budget validation referendum fail, educators and town officials, using information gathered from the advisory question, will form a new school budget that must be once again voted on by the council and the public within 10 days of the original referendum. Should the public not approve a budget by July 1, the last school board approved budget will go into effect. If a referendum is not successful by July 18, the last budget to be approved by the town council will go into effect. School budget validation referendums will continue until the public accepts a satisfactory school budget.