If Budget Defeated, East Hampton Will Get $1.5 Mil Less

If the 's is defeated on May 15, schools will have to make due with about $1.5 million less.

During a public hearing on the school board's proposed budget on Tuesday night, Isabel Madison, the district business administrator, laid out what would happen if the budget is defeated. The board would have to either decide to do a revote on the second Tuesday in June or adopt a contingency budget, which under the new state law, has to be set at the current school year's tax levy of about $42.9 million.

The proposed budget for 2012-13 has a tax levy of about $44.5 million. The rest of the money — about $18.3 million — comes from revenue, Madison said.

If the revote in June were defeated, the board is required to adopt the $42.9 million contingency budget. Under the Governor's new law, there is no percentage increase allowed. 

The public hearing yielded no questions or comments. Laura Anker-Grossman, the board president, said it may have been a first for the district, which has often experienced contentious budget seasons. 

Surveying who was in the audience in the high school auditorium for the hearing, the board decided to skip over the formal budget presentation; all community members present had been at previous budget meetings.

The proposal of  means an estimated tax rate of $47.45 per $100 assessed property value, a $1.46 increase year over year, Madison said.

will take place on May 15 from 2 to 8 p.m.