BIDDEFORD — Mayor Alan Casavant successfully vetoed the city council’s recently approved fiscal year 2013 budget Thursday, postponing the education referendum set for Tuesday.

City council members met for a special meeting with Casavant to vote on whether to override the mayor’s decision to veto the $57.9 million budget. Council members voted 5-4 in favor of overriding the veto, falling just short of the two-thirds, or six votes, required.

“I think that we can do better,” said Casavant to the nine-member council in city hall’s council chambers, about the council’s proposed 8.5 percent increase in the tax rate.

The budget, combining city and education costs, would have been a $3.2 million increase over last year’s budget. This year’s mil rate would have been increased by an estimated $1.33, to $16.75 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The city council approves the city’s portion of the budget, while the public votes on the education portion.

Casavant is proposing budget reductions that would bring the tax rate to $16.57 and lower the increase over last year’s rate to 7.4 percent. He said he would like to see the increase reduced to 7.25 percent, but that would require reductions of city services and staff.

“I have received too many emails and phone calls over this issue to ignore the ramifications of the mil increase that the council authorized,” said Casavant while reading from a prepared memo addressed to the councilors.

Among Casavant’s proposed reductions is the repairing of the Central Fire Station’s floor and the purchase of a power stretcher. He said he also wants to reduce the education budget by $366,000.

“I have a lot of confidence in the new mayor,” said Biddeford resident Ken Buechs, in favor of the veto.

Buechs said the council should consider locals with fixed, low or no incomes when adjusting the budget.

Not everyone was in favor of the veto.

“I think the budget should stay as is,” said Biddeford resident Roland Pelletier before the vote.

He said he blamed the zero percent increase in budgets of past years for the additional costs this year.

“We’ve worked very hard and diligently,” said Councilor Melissa Bednarowski, adding that the council asked for Casavant’s assistance during the budget process, and he didn’t make himself available.

Due to a miscommunication between Casavant and his secretary, Casavant said, the council didn’t know of the veto until Tuesday, two days before Thursday’s meeting. Bednarowski said she felt this was a calculated act to not allow sufficient public input, which Casavant denied as being true.

The discussion got heated for a moment, when Bednarowski said she was surprised to have a mayor without integrity, in relation to the short notice of Casavant’s veto. Casavant said he was insulted by Bednarowski’s comment.

City Clerk Carmen Morris said there would not be a significant difference in cost to run a second election, since ballots are counted by hand and not machine. She did say, though, that voter turnout will likely be lower at another vote since it will not take place on the day of the primary election.

— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326 or [email protected].