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| Newtown residents reject town budget with added school security | Newtown residents reject town budget with added school security |
| (17 days later) | |
| Residents have rejected a budget that included money for extra school security in the wake of the December school shootings, with town leaders suggesting the spending and required tax increases were a hard sell. | Residents have rejected a budget that included money for extra school security in the wake of the December school shootings, with town leaders suggesting the spending and required tax increases were a hard sell. |
| Voters on Tuesday turned down the $72m school budget by 482 votes and rejected the $39m town government budget by 62 votes. Nearly 4,500 residents voted on the plans, which would have represented an increase of more than 5% next fiscal year. | Voters on Tuesday turned down the $72m school budget by 482 votes and rejected the $39m town government budget by 62 votes. Nearly 4,500 residents voted on the plans, which would have represented an increase of more than 5% next fiscal year. |
| First selectwoman Patricia Llodra said the killings of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook elementary school had an impact on the vote, the first since the massacre. | First selectwoman Patricia Llodra said the killings of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook elementary school had an impact on the vote, the first since the massacre. |
| "We're very fragile as a community," she said. "We've lost some of our confidence." | "We're very fragile as a community," she said. "We've lost some of our confidence." |
| Officials had put an extra $770,000 in the school and town budgets to hire extra police officers and unarmed security guards in each of Newtown's public and private schools. The plan was spurred by the 14 December shootings. | Officials had put an extra $770,000 in the school and town budgets to hire extra police officers and unarmed security guards in each of Newtown's public and private schools. The plan was spurred by the 14 December shootings. |
| Jeff Capeci, chairman of the legislative council, said the higher school budget also would have expanded half-day kindergarten to full-day and allowed for the hiring of a new high school administrator and for capital spending and technology. | Jeff Capeci, chairman of the legislative council, said the higher school budget also would have expanded half-day kindergarten to full-day and allowed for the hiring of a new high school administrator and for capital spending and technology. |
| "I thought it was an incredibly high increase for this economy," Capeci said. "At the end of the day, Newtown voters thought it was too much of an increase." | "I thought it was an incredibly high increase for this economy," Capeci said. "At the end of the day, Newtown voters thought it was too much of an increase." |
| Llodra called the spending increases substantial. | Llodra called the spending increases substantial. |
| "It's just beyond the ability of our community to grapple with," she said. | "It's just beyond the ability of our community to grapple with," she said. |
| In contrast, the current budget is up by a fraction of 1% over the previous year. | In contrast, the current budget is up by a fraction of 1% over the previous year. |
| Newtown's budget troubles are relatively recent and are due to the recession, the weak recovery that followed and an aging population on a fixed income, Llodra said. A revised budget will be presented for a second vote. | Newtown's budget troubles are relatively recent and are due to the recession, the weak recovery that followed and an aging population on a fixed income, Llodra said. A revised budget will be presented for a second vote. |
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