Region 14 Referendum Defeated

The Region 14 referendum of $30,670,780, a 3.188% increase from the previous year, was defeated by a vote of 1,289 to 1,036 Tuesday night.

Voting closed at the Woodbury Senior Center at 8 p.m. and an official announcement was made at 8:10 p.m.

Woodbury voted 1,017 no and 745 yes, while Bethlehem voted 272 no and 291 yes.

A small group of interested voters gathered at the senior center awaiting the announcement. Some residents expressed their joy that the budget was defeated.

“I’m happy,” said Woodbury resident Tom Arras. “I think this is what deserved to happen here. The Board of Selectman and the Board of Finance requested a 0% increase and that’s what this should be.”

“I voted no also,” said Woodbury resident Don Hassinger. “In this economy, it’s outrageous to push anything more than a 0% increase.”

Residents say a reason in voting the referendum down was the distribution of payment in the Vo-ag program at Nonnewaug High School. 

“The real problem is the Vo-ag tuition,” said Arras. “We can’t afford to foot the bill for these out of town students coming in for school. It’s a great program, no one denies that, but we resent that fact that we have to pay for out of town students."

The budget was the fourth draft before it went to referendum and was a $947,698 increase from the 2010-2011 budget. The initial proposal was a 7.17% increase, the second was 4.77 and the third was 3.72. If the referendum had passed the mill rates would have increased .12 to 21.36 in Bethlehem and .832 to 22.282 in Woodbury.

26% of Woodbury registered voters made it to the polls, while 20% showed up from Bethlehem. 2,325 people in total voted, Woodbury has 6,726 registered voters while Bethlehem has 2,797 registered voters.