On Tuesday, June 3, the Thomaston Board of Finance approved a series of adjustments to the proposed town budget in response to its recent rejection at referendum. The board voted to reduce the education budget by $25,000, scale back the proposed salary increases for the First Selectman and Tax Collector (lowering the raises by $17,757 from the previous budget proposal), and increase the use of surplus funds from $300,000 to $350,000. With these changes, the revised budget reflects a 1.85% increase in spending over the current fiscal year.

According to the meeting minutes, board member George Seabourne initially moved to reduce the Board of Education budget by $100,000, but the motion failed for lack of a second and was not brought to a vote. The board ultimately approved the adjustments outlined above by a narrow 3–2 vote, with one abstention.

A link to the full updated proposal is available on the town website.

A Town Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lena Morton Art Gallery. Following the Town Meeting, the budget will be put to a vote on Wednesday, June 18, with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. According to Board of Finance minutes, the referendum is expected to cost the town between $3,000 – $4,000.

This article was updated to reflect the dates and cost of the town meeting and referendum, as well as the details of the motions made during the Board of Finance meeting.