Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit voters have a chance to tweak the latest budget offer on Monday, August 12. Superintendent Howard Tuttle hopes they'll make any changes they want and that this time, the budget will pass as the polls.

“We want everyone involved in the process, we want to hear everyone's voice and we want a budget that the voters will pass,” Tuttle said August 5.

The budget meeting comes a day earlier than first planned, on the advice of a lawyer for the district, Tuttle said.

August 13 would have otherwise been a good day for the meeting because it was a Tuesday, Tuttle said. But Maine law required it to be held by August 12, 45 days after the first budget proposal failed at the polls June 28, he said.

Other districts have exceeded the 45 days, but SVRSU is staying within it on the attorney's advice, the superintendent said.

The August 12 budget meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Whitefield Elementary School.

The budget offer the district's board passed July 11 asks towns for a total of $445,630 less than the failed offer, according to figures the district provided.

Meeting-goers can raise or lower the proposal, piece by piece.

Voters in Wiscasset, Westport Island, Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield and Windsor will then consider the complete package in a referendum September 10.

The new offer calls for a 4.6 hike over last year's total tab to the district's towns. The failed proposal in June, carrying a 7.7 percent hike, had lower state aid projections.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com