YARMOUTH

Voters approve $23.1 million school budget

Yarmouth residents approved a controversial $23.1 million school budget proposal Tuesday.

Voters approved the budget 1076-715 – about 59 percent to 41 percent. A total of 1,886 voters came to the polls, about 27 percent of the town’s registered voters.

The budget is $1 million higher than this year’s spending plan and rival camps had come out for and against the proposal.

Opponents, organized around the Yarmouth Tax Study Committee, accused the school committee of runaway spending and said high taxes are making it hard for residents on fixed-incomes. The school committee said a growing student body and contracted staff raises and benefits necessitated the increase. Yarmouth had approximately 1,600 students this year, an all-time high for the town.

Approximately 500 residents turned out to town meeting last week for an initial vote on the budget and it was overwhelmingly supported.

Voters also re-elected incumbent Leah Guay and elected political newcomer Anne Fleming to the school committee. Guay received 1,176 votes and Fleming got 1,078. Challenger Joan Dollarhite received 541 votes. Incumbent town councilors Patricia Thompson and Robert Waeldner won re-election in uncontested races.