WOODLAND, Maine — Roughly 18 Woodland residents voted to pass a $2,060,408.79 school budget on Monday night, which represents a total $126,676.29 increase over last year’s budget of $1,933,732.50.
While the state revenue increased by $527,258.86 from last year, residents will need to raise $48,570.43 more locally than the previous budget. The largest increases in the budget are for salaries and technology.
Last year, the district drew $593,561 from its fund balance, or reserve account, to help reduce taxpayer costs. This year, administrators only took $7,000 out of the fund balance.
While many of the individual articles were passed by voters without discussion, one resident asked why the additional local costs above what the state recommends as essential programs and services were not itemized or shown in the budget.
Union 122 School Board member Deborah McPherson explained that the local increases were shown in total on the first page of the budget document, but that specific amounts above EPS were not shown under each line item in the subsequent pages. All expenses and revenues were spread out across the budget document, she said.
Another audience member commented that “we’re actually getting off pretty easy compared to most communities” in terms of school budget increases.
A woman from the audience asked if the budget would cause an increase in the property tax rate, and if there are currently any estimates as to “how much it would increase.”
McPherson said she believed the locally funded additions would create an increase of roughly one mill, or $1 per $1,000 of property valuation.
Woodland’s mill rate in 2017 was 19.75.
In addition to the budget items, residents also voted to allow the Woodland School Board to transfer funds within the budget to other departments if necessary, provided the total amount of budgeted money does not increase.
