SANFORD — City Councilor Lucas Lanigan pledged to campaign in favor of a school budget unchanged from the present proposal that was rejected by voters last week, if the city’s budget panel were to recommend that avenue.

“I encourage the Budget Committee to look at the (school budget) document, stamp it and put it back on our desk,” said Lanigan at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “They did a great job.”

Lanigan took fellow Councilor Victor DiGregorio to task for his sign campaign urging voters to cast “no” votes ahead of the June 14 validation votes.

“(Your) signs were reckless and irresponsible at best,” Lanigan told DiGregorio. “What you did with those signs – you stripped our children of growing in our community.”

“I was not interested at all in disturbing the budget of the city or school,” DiGregorio insisted. “I did not want to disturb the school budget.”

During the meeting, he said he wasn’t interested in a zero percent increase – in contrast to his comments to a reporter one week before the vote.

“I strongly believe, 101 percent, that the tax rate should be held,” said DiGregorio in a June 7 interview. “I feel strongly we can do without a tax increase.”

When questioned later Tuesday, DiGregorio said his comment during the meeting was in error. He went on to say that initially, he had supported a more modest increase. When that proposal was rejected by the City Council during the initial budget process, DiGregorio ended up voting against the combined school and municipal budget of $63 million. The budget proposal would have meant a 2.44 percent tax increase. Because of the Homestead Exemption, city leaders said those with homes valued in the $160,000-$170,000 range would not see an increase.

The school budget rejected by voters was $38.1 million; with $14.4 million to come from local taxation.

A new school budget referendum is set for Aug. 23. A public hearing is set for June 30, and will be followed by a series of Budget Committee meetings to craft a school budget to put to the voters. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the Budget Committee’s proposal on July 19.

Both municipal and school budgets were rejected by voters June 14, but the turnout didn’t meet the city charter threshold of 25 percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. That means the city portion of the budget has passed. State statutes prevail on school budgets, so a new referendum is required. State law requires only a majority to vote a school budget up or down.

One resident, Greg Morin, said the city should consider removing the 25 percent threshold clause from the city charter. “By eliminating it once and for all, this city will know (their) vote counts,” Morin said.

Several councilors, during the council meeting and afterward, said they’d support a school budget unchanged from the one rejected by voters. In all, Councilors Fred Smith, Joe Hanslip, Lanigan, Mayor Tom Cote and Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy voiced their support.

“I will support the school budget as it is,” said Smith.

“I support the school committee budget” said Herlihy, adding she believes there’s “no way,” the schools can be held to zero percent. She said she is anxious to hear DiGregorio’s proposals to shrink the budget.

Later, School Committee Chairman Jonathan Mapes said it was “excellent” to hear the support, but his appreciation was tempered with caution. The Budget Committee will review the school budget document, he said, before coming up with a new proposed budget.

“Zero percent is a careless, false promise,” said Cote, the mayor. He said he has not received any email about the budget, and asked those planning to attend the June 30 public hearing, set for 6 p.m., to come with suggestions on what they’d propose cutting.

The School Department is seeing a spike in special education students in the schools, requiring more teachers and aides. As well, the schools were hit with a 20 percent or $1 million increase in health insurance premiums for the coming year. Some teaching vacancies created by retirements won’t be filled, and three grant-funded positions have expired.

In his defense, DiGregorio said he believed it was time for a break from “pay, pay, pay,” and pointed out the city has “a good cash flow.”

City Manager Steve Buck estimated a new vote will cost taxpayers about $4,500.

Councilor John Tuttle asked what happens if the budget is rejected a second time, with Buck responding that the process goes on with subsequent referendums until a yes vote prevails.

Lanigan wasn’t the only person who took DiGregorio to task.

“This little hornet’s nest needs to stop. You, Victor, don’t know what havoc you caused,” said resident Marge Trowbridge.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].