​Alburgh voters approve school budget and town item

Drive-thru voting in Alburgh today, designed to keep both voters and election workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Connie Boutin, Alburgh

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

ALBURGH –  Alburgh voters approved more than a $6.6 million annual town school budget on Tuesday.

​The school budget passed 152-144 during day-long voting.  A special drive-by balloting process was used outside the Alburgh Municipal Offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voters also agreed 205-91 to ensure a previously approved $75,000 expenditure will be part of the town budget when the new tax rate for 2020-21 is set.

The money was authorized at the 2019 Town Meeting for the capital budget to help pay for replacing vehicles and equipment for the Alburgh Volunteer Fire Department.  The line item failed to make it into the town budget when compiled this year.  The missing item was uncovered a few days before Town Meeting Day, the Selectboard said.
There are 1,456 voters on the town checklist.

The proposed $6,680,217 school budget had more than $100,000 in cuts from a budget rejected on Town Meeting Day in March.  That $6,784,186 budget went down 334-268.

“The Alburgh School Board would like to thank the voters of Alburgh for coming out to vote on such a hot day,” School Board Chairman Michael Savage told The Islander.  It was the sixth straight day the temperatures hit above 90 degrees – a record for the month of June in Vermont.

“We expect the upcoming school year to be even more challenging educationally and financially than this year has been,” Savage said.

“This positive result allows our staff and students to focus on the hard work ahead.  We really appreciate the support our community has given our school in these extraordinary times,” he said.

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