The public hearing on the proposed Middlefield town budget last Monday, April 26, was not very well-attended. Nevertheless, the dozen or so folks who showed up asked pointed questions and listened to interesting discussion.

Although the Board of Finance’s public hearing on the First Selectman's budget wasn't properly noticed, a public hearing was held on Thursday, March 18, to meet a Town Charter requirement. Due to the lack of a legal notice, however, another hearing was scheduled for March 29 to allow the town to hear and comment on Jon Brayshaw’s proposal.

In the nick of time, mere days before the end of the current fiscal year (2008-09), residents passed both outstanding budget proposals. On Tuesday, voters in both towns passed the District 13 education budget for next year (beginning July 1) and on Thursday evening, Middlefield voters also passed a town budget for next year (also beginning July 1).

“Upon consulting with counsel, it was determined that the budget we motioned to the Board of Selectmen for town meeting at the June 11 special meeting must go to town meeting unchanged. So therefore, we will not hold an ‘extra’ public hearing on Monday, but hold everything on Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. at Memorial School auditorium.

Because the town budget referendum failed on June 9 by a vote of 128-237 (12 percent of registered voters actually voted, at a cost of $8.22 per vote based on the $3,000 cost of a referendum, according to finance director Joe Geruch), the Board of Finance held a special meeting on Thursday, June 11, to make a number of significant cuts to the budget.