AUBURN — Residents will decide whether to support a $55.7 million school budget in a referendum election held concurrently with the state primaries Tuesday.
The ballot will contain two questions related to the budget: one which asks whether residents approve of the proposed school budget and a second which asks residents if the school budget referendum election should continue in future years.
Question two is required by state law to be on the ballot every three years.
The $7.4 million increase from the current spending plan of $48.3 million is largely linked to the construction of the new campus for Edward Little High School, a $104.7 million project approved by city residents in 2019. The state will pay the majority of the cost for the school construction.
The budget was unanimously passed by the School Committee and praised by Mayor Jason Levesque for its transparency and foresight. The City Council approved it in a 5-2 vote.
The spending plan would have Auburn residents paying 48 cents more per $1,000 in assessed property value, meaning that the owner of a property valued at $150,000 will pay roughly $72.47 more in school tax under the proposed plan.
Residents can vote at their local polling station from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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