The scene Thursday evening outside the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center, where the St. Mary’s School Carnival and the budget referendum were happening at the same time. Photo: Nelson Oliveira
BETHEL — Voters approved Bethel’s education and town budgets on the second try Thursday, unofficial results show.
The $43 million Board of Education budget passed by a vote of 2,119 to 1,276 while the $27.3 million municipal budget passed by 2,136 to 1,259
Voter turnout was about 30.1 percent.
On the budget advisory question, 1,851 voters said the town budget was “too high” and 982 said it was “too low.” As for the schools budget, 1,703 people said it was “too high” while 1,183 said it was “too low.”
The result ends the budget season much sooner than last year, when it took four attempts to pass the municipal budget.
The combined $70.3 million spending plan is about $1 million less than what was originally requested. The budget is projected to pose a 0.2 percent increase in property taxes, but the final mill rate has yet to be set.
Here’s a breakdown of the votes by district:
Bethel budget votes