WASHINGTON — The State Elections Enforcement Commission has dismissed a complaint against the Region 12 Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Pat Cosentino that they had spent public funds to advocate for “yes” votes in the April referendum.
The April referendum questions asked region voters to approve $41 million in bonding to build a new consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug campus in Washington and do renovations and repairs at the Shepaug Valley School, the middle high school.
The SEEC found that public funds were not used to advocate for a yes vote as alleged. The board attorney had discussed with SEEC attorney the region’s website explanatory text regarding the referendum and posting of architectural designs for the proposed new school before the postings, the commission review panel found.
“The mere inclusion of visual images as alleged cannot form the basis that it constitutes advocay per se for purposes of the General Statute,” the commission panel found in its Dec. 16 decision.