Voters pass re-certified BMR budget of $22.6M

Decision at first super town meeting between Blackstone, Millville takes less than an hour

BLACKSTONE — Blackstone and Millville voters, at a historic districtwide town meeting Wednesday, overwhelmingly approved the Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee’s re-certified school budget of $22.6 million, which includes a controversial $39,000 in additional contributions that was shortfunded by Millville.

The first-ever districtwide town meeting to break a voter impasse over supplemental contributions to the regional school district’s school budget for next fiscal year was wrapped up in 45 minutes. A total of 588 voters came out for the meeting – 369 from Blackstone and 219 from Millville.

The single warrant article asked voters to approve

a re-certified school budget of $22,623,707, which includes an $8,562,533 assessment to Blackstone and a $2,919,338 assessment to Millville. The Blackstone assessment includes $6,317,741 in minimal contributions; $1,347,481 in exclusionary costs; and $897,311 in supplemental investments. The Millville assessment included $2,074,258 in minimal contributions; $507,776 in exclusionary costs; and $337,804 in supplemental investments.

A total of 499 voters actually voted by secret ballot on the article, which was approved 347-152. Loud applause filled the steamy high school auditorium when Town Moderator Daniel Doyle read the results at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Districtwide town meetings, sometimes called super town meetings, have only convened a handful of times in the Commonwealth, and there has never been one in Blackstone and Millville.

Super town meetings are allowed by the state to force compromise if one or both of the towns in a regional school district fail to provide funding for their district assessment after two rounds of voting. If that happens, the regional school committee schedules a combined districtwide meeting, often called a “super town meeting” in a single venue with its own moderator.

The regional meeting includes all eligible voters from both towns who vote on a single article – the school budget. Had the regional vote failed Wednesday night, the School Committee could have reconsidered the budget and called for another regional meeting. The super town meeting step can be repeated as many times as necessary to approve budget funding.

The Blackstone-Millville super town meeting was held because Millville voters at a special town meeting last month failed to muster a twothirds majority vote to pass an article approving $39,000 in additional contributions to the regional school budget.

At the Millville annual town meeting in May, annual town meeting voters in Millville funded the minimal contribution and an additional amount of money. At its annual town meeting, Blackstone voters funded the minimal contribution and funded an additional $99,425 supplemental contribution that surpassed Millville’s vote (per percentage). That meant that Millville had to come up with an additional $39,000 supplemental invest- ment. But that funding request was rejected by voters.

As a result, the Blackstone-Millville Regional District School Committee had three options. The first was to re-certify a lower budget figure at $22,484,000, which would match what both towns have already voted on. The second option was to keep the May 30 re-certified budget of $22,623,707 and offset the amount not approved by Millville with new revenue sources.

The third option was to call a regional super town meeting and resubmit the same budget. The committee decided on the third option, which meant voters in both Blackstone and Millville had to gather under one roof Wednesday to vote on a budget that includes Blackstone’s $99,425 and the requested $39,000 in additional contributions from Millville.

School Superintendent Jason DeFalco urged voters to approve the article, saying the re-certified budget includes $1.5 milllion in budget cuts that have already been made.

“Right now, we’re operatng on a one-twelfth budget until this is finalized,” he said. “We need to get this passed so the School Committee can get to work and see what can be restored.”

Several Millville residents addressed the town meeting, saying that town is in dire financial straits since voters there rejected a property tax override in June.

“We have bankrupted our stabilization to fund this budget,” one Millville resident said. “While $39,000 might not be a lot of money for the School Committeee, it is to us.”

Millville Selectman Thomas Houle said having to come up with $39,000 could mean cuts to the town’s public safety department.

“There are no more funds in Millville,” he said. “Thirty-nine thousand dollars could mean one full-time police officer or firefighter. This is a difficult time for Millville.”

Some voters from Millville, however, said they were in favor of the article.

“We are all here for a reason and that is because we all know our kids deserve an education,” said one.

“If we don’t invest in our school system more people are going to leave,” said a Blackstone voter. “No one wants to move into a town that doesn’t invest in its schools.”

It was clear that most of the voters who came out for the meeting had their minds made up and knew how they were going to vote. The meeting started at 7 p.m., and by 7:30 the question was moved to a vote.