Plainfield
Voters approved a roughly $6.5 million spending plan, including the operating budget, a $30,000 request to replace two school floors and a $50,000 addition to the special education and tuition reserve fund.
The increase of more than $200,000, or 3.4 percent, in operating expenses comes mostly from a contract under which Plainfield will provide superintendent and other administrative services to Cornish, said Chris Forman, a Plainfield School Board member who presented the budget before a crowd of about 80 in the Plainfield Elementary School gym.
“We believe this is a tremendous step for our district,” Forman said. “Plainfield and Cornish have a great amount in common.”
Forman noted that Plainfield would see a corresponding increase of about $140,000 in revenues paid by Cornish, which would offset the added costs, an increase he called a “pass-through expense.”
“We don’t take asking our neighbors effectively for $6.5 million lightly at all,” Forman added.
With the approval of all articles, the school tax rate is expected to increase by 33 cents per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value, or an additional $82.50 in taxes for a home valued at $250,000.
Residents on Friday had no questions or comments on the budget, which passed 94-17.
The next article, the floor replacement request, succeeded 94-19; after a short discussion, the reserve fund appropriation also passed, 94-17.
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.