Thomaston’s proposed town budget failed to pass in Tuesday’s referendum, with 351 voters opposing the measure and 247 voting in favor. The turnout was notably low, with just 598 ballots cast out of roughly 5,500 registered voters—amounting to about 11% participation.

This marks a setback in the town’s budget process and signals continued public hesitation around proposed spending increases. The Board of Finance will reconvene to revise the budget in hopes of securing voter approval.

While the Board has not yet formally announced next steps, past discussions and public commentary suggest the potential for reductions to department requests, changes to the Board of Education allocation, and reconsideration of previously approved salary increases for town officials—an issue that drew vocal opposition at recent public meetings.

The Board of Finance meets again on Thursday, May 15th at 6pm in Meeting Room One in Town Hall. The budget is the only topic on the agenda.

Note – this article was updated to reflect the Board of Finance meeting on May 15th.