Staff Writer 

Adopting the 2009 Cape Elizabeth School budget was “embarrassing” and “painful” for Cape Elizabeth Town Council Chairman Jim Rowe, he said.

“Last year our town was dragged kicking and screaming to a compromise,” he said during last week’s 2009-2010 fiscal year school budget adoption. “It took us three times to approve a budget and I hope we don’t have to do it that way again. It hurts one of the things I love most, and that’s our town.”

Rowe joined councilors Paul McKenney and Anne Swift-Kayatta in voting against the proposed $19.3 million school budget, which is 1.6 percent more than last year’s school budget. If approved, it will result in a 0.6 percent increase to taxes when combined with the $8.5 million municipal budget.

Both Rowe and McKenney said they would rather send a school budget resulting in a 0.3 percent increase in taxes to voters, the midpoint between a flat tax increase and the 0.6 that would result from the budget approved by the school board. Rowe said he hoped finding a compromise could circumvent the need for multiple referendum that could ultimately result in the same numbers being approved.

“If we’re not selfless enough to give up our own personal preferences and come together, I would be very bothered by that,” Rowe said.

For Swift-Kayatta, a 0.3 percent increase to taxes was still too much to ask residents given the current national and local economies. She said she voted against the proposed 1.6 percent increased school budget since school enrollment rates had decreased 7 percent in the last five years and the town budget had been reduced. The school budget was the only town budget with any proposed increase and would result in a 5 percent average increase in teacher salaries, she said.

“Reasonable people can disagree on this issue,” Swift-Kayatta said.

Ultimately, the proposed 1.6 percent increased school budget was approved by the council in a 4 to 3 vote. The budget is nearly $700,000 less than that approved by the school board after Superintendent Alan Hawkins said he received notification the school is eligible for federal stabilization dollars. While the federal dollars can be used to lessen the burden on taxpayers, he said the funds have special reporting requirements and regulations on how they may be used. He said the money might not be used to fund any new positions or programs that would create a future budget line item to be picked up by taxpayers.

In addition to the $700,000, Hawkins said the school will also receive more than $420,000 in federal stimulus dollars that must be used for special education but cannot subsidize the $2.3 million line item already included in the budget, as some councilors suggested it should.

“This money is for above and beyond, it cannot take the place of funds the town has allocated,” he said. “These are supplemental funds to support the program.”

Some councilors were concerned about what the last minute fluctuation in the budget could mean for the budget validation process, as is required by state law. 

“I know we want to do everything legally,” Swift-Kayatta said. “Are there any concerns on us voting on these numbers tonight given that the school board hasn’t voted on them?”

Hawkins said he felt “fairly confident” the funding would be available and would not jeopardize the council’s vote.

Combined with the council-approved $8.5 million municipal budget and 

Absentee ballots are currently available at town hall and voting is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 12 at Cape Elizabeth High School. 

The ballot question will resemble that on last year’s ballot, with a “Yes” and “No” option in addition to an advisory question with “Too high,” Acceptable” and “Too Low” options.

Staff Writer Nate Jones may be reached at 282-4337 ext. 233.