A word about the ballot question related to the school budget override from Richard W. Larkin, Town Counsel:
As some of you know, the article to appropriate $30,552.00 as a supplementary budget was passed over at the Annual Town Meeting after Superintendent Genovese advised the meeting the District had squeezed the budget down.
However, this does not mean the override ballot question ( Question #2) is a nullity.
If it were to pass anyway, it would raise the starting (base) number for next year's calculation of the levy limit.
If the ballot were to pass, with no appropriation of the money, it would mean that the town had the extra capacity to levy taxes, but that it had not appropriated the expenditure.
Once this year's tax rate would be set, the ability to raise the money this year would be gone. However, the extra capacity for next year would be there.
I just mention this, because I heard a few comments that the ballot question was moot. I might have considered bringing the matter up at Town Meeting, but I wasn't absolutely sure of the answer.
I checked with sources in the DOR the next morning and confirmed my belief.
It probably won't pass anyway, but forewarned is forearmed.
Rich Larkin