In Essex, the Board of Selectmen agreed to schedule a Special Town Meeting on Monday, June 26.
The meeting, which will begin at 7:30 pm at Essex Elementary School, will ask residents to consider ratifying the FY24 Manchester Essex Regional School District operating budget. On May 1 voters approved a lower version of the school district budget (Article 4. funding Essex's share of the FY24 MERSD school assessment) at its Annual Town Meeting. That night also approved moving approval of additional monies needed to meet the district's final budget to a ballot vote as part of a Proposition 2 1/2 override, which failed two weeks after Town Meeting.
Last week, the ME Regional School Committee approved a compromise budget of $29.2 million that cut $763,876 and pulls an additional $252,000 from its reserve funds.
The June 26 Special Town Meeting—which is being held ahead of Manchester's June 28 Special Town Meeting—will ask Essex voters to approve the new budget. Manchester's meeting will ask the same of its residents.
The deadline for Essex voters to register to vote at Town Meeting is June 16. The Town Clerk's office will be open for voter registration from 9am-5pm on that day. Alternatively, residents can register or update their voter status online by the midnight deadline.
