Municipal, Education Budgets Fail at Referendum

Voters turned down proposals from both municipal and school officials Tuesday, as the first town referendum on the 2013-14 budget ended in defeat on both sides. After a day of voting, results were announced at about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday at Newtown Middle School, with voting officials saying 4,495 votes were cast.

"What can I say? I was disappointed," said First Selectman Pat Llodra, whose proposed budget met defeat by 66 votes.

Her $39 million Legislative Council-approved municipal budget included $420,000 to go into a contingency fund for enough armed police officers to staff each Newtown public school, as well as $150,000 in security grants for private schools.

Voters sent back the proposed education budget by a wider margin -- nearly 500 votes. The 5.5% increase included full-day kindergarten, technology and building upgrades, and an unarmed security staff presence in schools.

"I think the voters overwhelmingly answered the question -- they think the budgets are too high," said Board of Education chair Debbie Leidlein after the vote. "Unfortunately, the advisory questions don't give us much guidance as to what the correct amount would be."

Last year the budget returned to voters cut by about $1 million. Ultimately, it took five referendums to pass.

The second referendum will be held May 14, according to Capeci. A special Legislative Council meeting is in planning stages for next week to address the budget.

"In the past, such meetings have been held the day after the referendum failure," said Capeci in a letter. "Holding the meeting later will provide more time to consider the results, speak with constituents and allow for citizens to reach out to the Legislative Council prior to action."

Newtown officials were not alone in the rejection. Tuesday also saw the defeat of neighboring Monroe's 2013-14 proposed budget in its second referendum. Voters turned down the $80.3 million budget there by 150 votes.

Voting is "Pretty Cool"

Turnout began slower than previous years, but caught up in the evening. The total was only a few dozen short of last year's first referendum, in which 4,522 residents voted.

Still, as the day went on, lines developed in the parking lot -- and, in the late afternoon, inside the gym, as residents cast their votes. One was Chris Otero, 18, a student at Newtown High School, who cast his first-ever vote Tuesday.

"I  was too young to vote in the election [in November], so I decided to vote now," he said.

Otero talked to his father, who works for the town, and said his parents' ideals played a part in his decision. But the hot-button issue of school security wasn't a factor for him.

"The schools are pretty safe, so I'm not worried about that," he said. Otero described voting as "pretty cool."

"It felt nice to finally do my civic duty," he said.

Many residents brought their children. Resident Catherine Pendergast, who brought her 11-year-old daughter Heather to the polls, said taxes were a concern in her decision.

"I based my [vote] on my paycheck, and what I haven't gotten in years," she said. 

The Vote:

Board of Selectmen budget:

• Yes: 2207
• No: 2273

Was budget too low?

• Yes: 299
• No: 3926

Board of Education budget:

• Yes: 1994
• No: 2476

Was budget too low?

• Yes: 605
• No: 3650