CCB MEDIA FILE PHOTO
Attendees at the 2014 Yarmouth Special Town Meeting vote in favor of funding the shortfall of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District budget.
YARMOUTH – Yarmouth selectmen have voted to support a Proposition 2 ½ override at Saturday’s town meeting that will help fund the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District budget for the next fiscal year.
The town needs to raise $323,921 through an override to fully cover its share of the school budget.
Yarmouth is retiring $580,000 in debt this year related to previous projects. The article on this weekend’s warrant would be a permanent tax increase.
The town initially wanted to use the retiring debt as an opportunity to fund new capital projects, but selectmen decided this week to use a portion for the school budget.
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School Committee Chairman Brian Carey asked Yarmouth selectmen for their support.
CCB MEDIA FILE PHOTO
Brian Carey, chairman of the Dennis-Yarmouth School Committee
“Our budget has been dropped down to 2.15%, or thereabouts, under the 2 ½ percent. Obviously the assessments to both the Towns of Dennis and Yarmouth are larger than that, mainly due to revenue shortfalls in the state formula,” he told the board at their Tuesday meeting.
Yarmouth and the regional school committee have a long history of budget battles over the years, including 2008 when a joint “tent” meeting that included residents of both Yarmouth and Dennis was required to break a stalemate in the budget process.
That contentious session resulted in hard feelings between the two communities for several years.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Yarmouth selectman Tracy Post said that even though she “personally hated” supporting an override, she would vote in favor of the article.
“It’s advantageous based on the complexity of the potential going forward, protecting our town budget, going to a tent. For the amount of money, knowing it’s within out debt drop off, I’m comfortable with that,” she said.
Yarmouth’s town meeting is scheduled for Saturday at the Mattacheese Middle School.
