If you ever thought your vote doesn’t matter, think again. Thomaston voters have once again rejected the proposed town budget. The measure failed by just two votes—252 opposed to 250 in favor—during the second referendum held on Thursday, May 29th.

This marks the second time this year that voters have turned down the town’s budget proposal. Turnout was lower this round with a drop of over 15% from the first referendum earlier this month.

A special Board of Finance meeting is likely to be scheduled to address next steps, including potential reductions to department budgets and adjustments to education funding. The Board of Education is next scheduled to meet next on June 9, though any specific response to reductions made by the Board of Finance may come through a special meeting beforehand.

Much of the public debate leading up to this vote continued to center around recent salary increases for certain elected officials—a recurring point of contention during budget season. Other residents expressed support for the proposal, citing concerns about the impact of further cuts on education and town services.

This article will be updated with changes to meeting schedules when they are announced.