A recount will be conducted in Gorham after the town’s $53 million school budget — and its accompanying 9.05 percent property tax rate increase — was approved earlier this month by just four votes.
According to the Gorham Republican Committee, a senior resident initiated recount proceedings following the announcement of the results.
Because there weren’t any rules in place for such a situation, Gorham defaulted to the procedures outlined in state law. This meant that in order for a recount to be conducted, a petition with at least 100 signatures needed to be submitted.
Sent in two days prior to the deadline, the petition supporting a recount had garnered more than 250 signatures.
“Having a very tight margin of votes on a very heavy budget with a impactful monthly increase of expenditures and taxes especially to those already living within tight constraints was the sole reason for the recount,” the Gorham Republican Committee wrote on their Facebook page.
“Many residents were elated that a double check of the numbers was being done by an even representation of the community,” they continued. “Mistakes can happen and machines are not infallible as we have seen in the past.”
The 9.05 percent property tax hike included in this budget will translate to a $320 annual increase on a home assessed at $400,000, bringing the total education component of this hypothetical bill from $3,516 to $3,836.
Currently, the school property tax rate for Gorham residents is $8.79 per $1,000 of assessed property value, but under the now-approved FY25 budget this will increase to $9.59 per $1,000 of value.
[RELATED: Gorham Residents Approve $53 Million School Budget with 9.05 Percent Tax Hike by Just 4 Votes]
“I think there are two important comments to share regarding this year’s budget vote,” Gorham Superintendent Heather Perry said in an email earlier this month, according to the Portland Press Herald.
“First, I think the results demonstrate the importance of every single vote and voice in our local democracy,” said Superintendent Perry. “Second, I think it demonstrates clearly to our school and municipal officials that we all still have work to do in regards to creating sustainable taxes in our community for the long-term.”
The recount is set to take place at the Gorham Town Hall in the Council Chambers on Wednesday, June 26 beginning at 10am.
The recount proceedings will be open to public observation, but public participation will not be allowed.
How come people who don’t pay property taxes get to vote to raise others .
seems like after spending a quarter of a million dollars per student, your average graduate would be smarter than jethro bodine