RSU 9 projected tax assessments

Chesterville: $939,061, increase of $2,973;

Farmington: $4.51 million, decrease of $108,489;

Industry: $819,946, increase of $11,345;

New Sharon: $998,329, decrease of $26,670;

New Vineyard: $700,739, decrease of $4,736;

Starks: $380,275, increase of $21,582;

Temple: $418,702, decrease of $21,572;

Vienna: $685,518, decrease of $14,242;

Weld: $462,792, decrease of $7,696;

Wilton: $2.76 million, decrease of $119,939.

FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9’s third budget proposal for the current school year will go to a districtwide vote at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, in Bjorn Auditorium at Mt. Blue Campus.

The amount approved by voters Tuesday will go to a yes-or-no validation referendum Sept. 12 in each of the 10 towns in the district.

The proposed spending plan of $33.63 million represents an increase of $887,984 (2.71 percent) over last year. Bigger budgets were rejected by voters in June and August. Each reflected an increase of more than $1 million.

As law allows, the district is operating on a $33.9 million budget that was approved by voters July 25 but failed 1,290 to 1,429 in a validation vote at the polls Aug. 3.

School board directors cut $292,414 from that proposal in August.

The board also opted to use the full $729,000 in additional state funds that exceeded the governor’s proposal to reduce tax assessments to the towns, which resulted in an overall 2.06 percent decrease in assessments, according to Superintendent Tom Ward.

The Legislature approved a budget for the state in early July, which allowed school systems across the state to know what they should expect in additional funding for education.

Under the latest draft budget, seven of the 10 district towns will see decreases in school tax assessments and three will see increases of between $2,973 and $21,582.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net