RSU 50 voters OK school budget

    STACYVILLE, Maine — Voters have spoken for RSU 50 as the consolidated district finally has a budget for the 2011-12 school year one week after school actually began.
RSU 50 comprises the communities of Crystal, Dyer Brook, Hersey, Island Falls, Merrill, Moro, Mt. Chase, Oakfield, Patten, Sherman, Smyrna and Stacyville. Voters in those communities went to the polls Sept. 7 to cast their ballot on the $9,039,646 spending package.
    The new budget will result in a tax increase for most of the communities in the RSU district.
The budget passed 403-378, but several communities were not in favor of the fiscal plan, which failed in the towns of Dyer Brook, Merrill, Patten, Sherman and Stacyville. A breakdown of the votes by communities is as follows: Crystal, 20 yes, 12 no; Dyer Brook, 38 yes and 13 no; Hersey, five yes and two no; Island Falls, 79 yes and 50 no; Merrill, 18 yes and 20 no; Moro, four yes and zero no; Mount Chase, 27 yes and 22 no; Oakfield, 66 yes and 16 no; Patten, 65 yes and 76 no; Sherman 33 yes, and 128 no; Smyrna 31 yes and five no; and Stacyville 17 yes and 34 no.
“The budget did pass and that was great news for the RSU,” said John Doe, interim superintendent for the school district. “The next steps will be discussed at the board meeting next Wednesday, Sept. 14.”
On of those steps includes ratifying the vote before it can become official.