(Host) Brandon voters passed their elementary school and town budgets on Tuesday. But a controversial one-million dollar bond to build a new town office building was defeated.
Currently the town offices share a small, out-of-date building on Route 7 with the police department. Town officials have been looking for a more spacious and more suitable location for them for years. Two buildings north of town were being considered, but a group of local residents organized to keep the town offices downtown. Their plan, to be funded with the one-million dollar bond, included construction of a new building just up the street from the old town offices.
Opponents of the bond argued that it was too expensive. They voted the bond down 528 to 402. Brandon Town Clerk Bill Dick said voter turnout in Brandon was slightly lower than usual ¿ around 40%.