Huntington residents turn out Wednesday for a Special Town Meeting to vote on the Gateway budget. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HUNTINGTON – 85 registered voters came out to a Special Town Meeting on Wednesday to vote for a second (and third) time on the Gateway Regional School budget. The vote on the over-minimum contribution of $722,266, the first of three Articles, had to be retaken due to a challenge to the validity of the first vote.
Doors were open early to Stanton Hall for residents before any town officials arrived for the 6:30 p.m. meeting. Residents signed in with their addresses, but were not confirmed on the voter registration rolls. The first attempt at a vote by paper ballot resulted in ten more votes cast than residents who signed in, leaving the question of whether the votes were cast by registered voters.
(L-R) Huntington treasurer Aimee Burnham, Selectmen Karon Hathaway and Ed Renauld, temp. moderator Thomas Gralinski and Selectman Darlene McVeigh discuss procedure after the irregular vote. (Photo by Amy Porter)
The meeting had to be paused as selectmen consulted with the Town Counsel Thomas W. McEnaney by phone, who said the original vote was null and void. Some residents objected, saying that several people had left following the first vote. However, the only course was to have everyone remaining at the meeting sign in on the voter rolls, and cast a second paper ballot.
Town treasurer Aimee Burnham, who counted both ballots with an assistant, shredded the first ballot before the second vote was taken. The results of the first ballot were not announced. In the end, Huntington’s over-minimum contribution to Gateway was rejected by a vote of 32 yes to 52 no, one less than the registered voters that had been confirmed.
The second and third Articles were for an additional sum of $4,004 for Huntington’s share of the minimum contribution, which is set by the state; and an additional sum of $11,000 for Huntington’s costs for vocational tuition. Both questions passed by a majority of hands with no discussion.
The confusion of the vote-taking overshadowed the discussion on the over-minimum contribution that preceded it. When the first Article was moved and seconded, Ed Renauld, chair of the Board of Selectmen, said they were not recommending approval.
During the discussion, Selectman Darlene McVeigh read a lengthy argument which challenged Gateway’s assertion that the budget could not be cut without impacting student services. McVeigh cited the following statistics: Gateway spends $17,381 per pupil, 112% of the state per pupil average. She also said the superintendent’s salary is 300% of the state per pupil average, while classroom teachers earn 91% of that same average. By press time, The Westfield News was not able to confirm the accuracy of these statistics.
Residents line up for a second vote. (Photo by Amy Porter)
McVeigh also said that the district does not spend its entire budget. She said in FY16, the budget was underspent by $528,000.
McVeigh also said that since Fy14, Huntington’s share of the Gateway budget has increased by $450,000, while the town’s budget has only increased during that time by $227,000. She said town officials have been trying to balance school needs versus town needs.
Gateway business manager Stephanie Fisk, who is also a resident of Huntington, asked what would be the tax impact if voters were to approve the over-minimum contribution. McVeigh responded that the increase on the tax rate would be $1.08 per thousand.
Renauld said another consideration is that Huntington is one of six towns in the district, and is only as strong as its “weakest link.” He said the town of Russell, which also rejected the Gateway budget at its town meeting, would be facing a tax rate of over $24 per thousand if the budget were passed. He said Proposition 2 ½ limits the tax rate to $25 per thousand.
“The town of Russell’s back is against the wall. They will not be able to fund the school next year,” Renauld said. Russell is holding a Special Town Meeting on Thursday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m.to vote on its share of the over-minimum contribution. Chester, who also voted down the budget, is holding its meeting on Saturday at 1 p.m. One of the two towns must vote for the budget in order for it to pass, or it will go back to the School Committee, who will have 30 days to vote on a new version.
McVeigh also suggested that Gateway use some of the revenue in its incoming school choice revolving account, which she said had a balance of $600,000 at the end of FY16.
When asked by a resident whether those funds could be used for other purposes, Fisk responded that the funds have to be used for instructional services, and cannot be used to make up for the cost of outgoing school choice students. The resident then commented that the town was asking the school district to take money out of a fund for educational purposes.
The question was then moved and approved, before the first vote on the over-minimum contribution was attempted.
Following the meeting, Renauld said he was told by the town’s attorney that there was “no way we could accept the first vote.”
