Weare voters rejected the operating budgets for both the town and the school district Tuesday and turned a thumbs down on a number of spending proposals.
One exception was pay. Voters approved a raise for non-union town employees as well as a new contract for support staff at Center Woods Elementary School.
But they rejected warrant articles for a new detective, a new police vehicle, a new roadside mower, a scale for the transfer station, an increased stipend for the Parks and Recreation director, giving more revenue from recyclables to a fund for transfer station upgrades, paying for wellness checks for police officers and buying an extra Taser for police, among other things.
Incumbent Bruce Fillmore won re-election to the select board over Paul Thoman, 908-679.
In a battle of newcomers, Katie Lipp defeated Lorraine Westphal for an open seat on the school board, 932-547.
Voters rejected by a vote of 920 yes to 966 no a petitioned article to cap future school district budget increases. They strongly approved, 1,232-567, an advisory article telling legislators to create transparency of educational Freedom Account school vouchers.
Paul Knudson won a three-way race for an open select board seat, defeating Wayne Aucoin and Erin Wasserman.
On the Henniker School Board, incumbent Deb Urbaitis was re-elected. Newcomer Jason Schrock won the open seat, defeating Jessica Lescarbeau.
The school district’s operating budget and a new contract for support staff passed easily.
Henniker town government operates under a traditional meeting format. The meeting to vote on the operating budget and warrant articles will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Henniker Community School, 51 Western Ave.
The operating budget for the two-town school district passed with approval from both Weare and Henniker but a new contract for teachers was rejected.
Henniker voters supported the contract, 409-210, but voters in the much larger town of Weare soundly rejected it, 1,120-772.
David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com.
