Milford residents passed the town’s general budget and opposed parts of the school budget Tuesday after voting down part of the town’s budget and not voting on the complete school budget on June 17.
The majority of the money up for consideration came from the $6.2 million budget of the Dr. Lewis S. Libby School, Milford’s K-8 school. Voters previously rejected a single $3.1 million article on June 17 before a member of the school committee abruptly called for the meeting to end, leaving the budget approval process unfinished.
At the July vote, the general education, system administration and school administration budgets were voted down following a contentious debate between Milford residents, the school committee and the school’s superintendent.
The vote to approve the total budget was moved to the town’s next meeting after an error in the dates for the fiscal year was found during the article’s reading.
Under the proposed budget, Milford would cut school funding, eliminating two teaching positions and one librarian, as well as not replacing a retiring teacher.
Since the last vote in June, the town budget increased from $460,866 to $547,833 because of the addition of a second town clerk who would be able to extend the town office’s hours. Residents asked for the office hours to be extended at previous meetings, Select Board members said at the meeting.
The public safety budget of $575,147 was approved by residents after the same article failed in June. The change in voting stemmed from residents asking for another part-time officer to be added to the Milford Police Department, but the position wasn’t added in the final budget because crime rates didn’t change despite the position not being filled for the past year. The Select Board and voters deemed the $61,000 position unnecessary.
The articles will be up for vote again after the school committee meets to revise the budget and calls for a special town meeting.
