East Haddam voters reject proposed $36.9 million budget in 'spectacular' fashion
John Moritz
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Town of East HaddamHearst Connecticut Media photo
EAST HADDAM — Residents overwhelmingly rejected a proposed $36.9 million town budget and likely property tax increases in a referendum Tuesday, sending officials back to the drawing board to come up with another spending plan by August.
The unofficial results tallied 274 residents voting in favor of the budget, while 1,242 voted against it.
The budget marked a 7.2 percent overall increase in spending, which the Board of Finance had proposed to cover with a less than 1 percent increase to the tax rate.
First Selectman Robert Smith, a Democrat, said Wednesday that the budget failed “spectacularly,” and that officials will hold public meetings next week to hear more specific feedback from citizens. In the meantime, he said, the town will start the next fiscal year July 1 at current spending levels, delaying salary increases and other new spending plans.