LINCOLN — The conservative-led town council here voted Monday to suspend deep and controversial budget cuts it passed last week, setting another budget vote for next month.
The budget passed last week thanks to the 4-3 conservative majority. Public outrage grew as the fire department, which faced the possibility of losing nearly half its staff, openly supported a petition that would have put a referendum on the Lincoln budget.
The council majority, led by Vice Chair David Ireland, rejected the previous town manager’s proposed budget, which would have added roughly 2% to the town budget, well below inflation. The group opted to go with Ireland’s proposal, amounting to a 12.8% cut.
About 50 residents attended Monday’s special council meeting, many upset with the budget cuts. After a 90-minute executive session with the town attorney, which he said amounted to a “very comprehensive review of the charter of the town of Lincoln,” the council came back and suspended its previous vote.
“We heard the people,” conservative Councilor Eric Rojo said after the meeting. “Both sides need to look at both budgets, what can and cannot be done with them, and we’ll find a solution somewhere in between.”
One resident stood up after the meeting adjourned and asked the town attorney, Andrew Hamilton, whether the decision to invalidate last week’s budget would also invalidate the roughly 550 petition signatures from residents aiming to invalidate it. He said it would. If the same budget cuts were ultimately passed in July, petitioners would have to start over.
Some in the audience murmured at this. At least one jaw dropped.
“Nobody should gasp or exclaim, ‘That’s too bad’,” Hamilton said. “Through democracy, your voices have been heard.”
The council will host two more budget hearings, one on July 6 and another on July 15 before a vote on July 22.
