BMU Warns Another Budget Before Wednesday Revote

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Created on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 21:48
Written by Asher Ballantine

Blue Mountain Union School held an informational meeting last night for their second budget proposal. Voters and the board seem to be at odds as there were many disputes during the meeting.

 

 

The board has proposed a 12.7 million dollar budget, $100,000 less than the initial budget that failed by seven votes.

This would shift the local homestead tax rate down by 0.2 cents, or roughly 1 percent.

“We also had 66 families that did not fill out the household income form this year. And this was really—this was significant. I mean, this really can't be overstated. This was significant as far as our tax impacts,” said school board member Megan Foy.

During public comment, there were many residents of the surrounding towns voicing their grievances with the tax burden.

“You have given us transparency so that we can see the context and in which we're in. So I feel like I'm going to vote. If I vote for the kids and the teachers, okay, the other seniors—that unemployed people or people on the on the low end of the economic spectrum—they're going to be hurt. So it's a—it's a no-win situation,” said a local voter at the meeting.

Many of the voices acknowledged how unbearable the living standards are rising to, and what’s to come in the next few years.

“Your funding has been cut. So now you're going to have to make those hard decisions and make the cuts. Because what's going to happen next year? I believe the Medicaid cuts were tiered. And there's going to be more Medicaid cuts coming. So next year, where are we at? Do you have any idea what we're going to be faced with for next year?” another voter added at the meeting.

The school maintains they are operating a budget that ensures high-quality education while keeping the taxpayer in mind.

Act 73 was referenced by the board, offering that it may alleviate some of the tax burden in the future.

The board closed the meeting out by urging voters to take their frustrations to the state and their local representatives.

The budget vote will be happening this Wednesday, during normal voting hours.