Town Meeting on Monday decided to put off voting on next year's budget, and all other financial items, until June 18.

Selectmen Chair Peter Teitelbaum urge the voters to support the measure.

Explaining that the Finance Committee, School Committee, and Selectmen met jointly last week to discuss the budget, Teitelbaum noted: "We learned officially that the Finance Committee, through its right of first amendment to the town budget ... intended to change the number that was in the warrant materials ... and instead insert a significantly higher number that was provided by the School Department."

The Finance Committee's plan was to ask Town Meeting to OK an unbalanced budget in an effort to give all parties additional time to determine where to further cut their respective budgets.

FinCom members said last week that passing an unbalanced budget -- rather than simply delaying a vote -- would allow the town to pay bills and continue operating, if for some reason a Special Town Meeting could not be held or could not obtain a quorum before the new fiscal year starts on July 1.

Town Moderator Claire Smith did not allow discussion of Teitelbaum's motion to delay the budget vote, however, and FinCom members were frustrated.

"There are things that these people need to know before they vote," pleaded Frank Heath of the Finance Committee.

After the vote, a few FinCom members left the meeting and did not return. Heath resigned the next day.

Here's the background.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan has proposed a $54.2 million town budget for the next fiscal year.

The School Department, after cutting its original proposed budget by nearly $1 million, says it can't cut anymore, and planned to go to Town Meeting with a $700,000 gap between its request and Sullivan's $25.3 million budget for "net-school spending" -- that is, everything other than school transportation expenses.

A $120,000 gap also remains in the school transportation budget. If it is not somehow filled, school officials have said that they will have to reduce busing services. 

"We're sitting here at Town Meeting. We're wondering what's going to come out, what the budget's going to be. ... This is not a good position for you to be in, as a body," Teitelbaum explained in asking voters to delay a vote. "It means that we didn't get the job done. We didn't come into this meeting with a budget that was balanced."

Teitelbaum was worried about the trouble passing an unbalanced budget could cause the town.

"We've been told by the Department of Revenue, when the question of an unbalanced budget comes up, they tell us not to do it. They also tell us that if it is done, you're going to have a problem setting your tax rate in the fall. [If the] tax rate isn't approved, tax bills don't go out on time. Tax bills don't go out on time, you don't get the revenues in. When you don't get the revenues in, you have to borrow" money for the day-to-day operation of the town, Teitelbaum explained.

Delaying a vote on the budget and other financial articles will give the Selectmen and School Committee time to meet and come up with a budget to give the FinCom, so the FinCom can make a recommendation to Town Meeting as to how to vote on June 18, Teitelbaum said.

Teitelbaum and School Committee Chair Rhonda Veugen have agreed to set a joint meeting for May 1 to discuss the budget.

"Everything at that meeting will be on the table. I don't see us meeting as five Selectmen and five School Committee members. I see us meeting as 10 individuals, prepared to go over every single item in the budget," Teitelbaum said. "We are prepared to meet until we get this fixed with a due date, in my mind, of no later than May 31, so we can get the completed product to the FinCom so they have time to go over it."

Teitelbaum admitted that the measure was an "imperfect solution," but ultimately Town Meeting voters agreed to delay the votes.

For coverage of last week's budget meeting, click here.

Town Meeting reconvenes Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. in the Wareham High School auditorium. Click the links below for more information.