CROYDON — A supervisor of the town voter checklist said Friday she has resigned from her position after a decision by state officials that could make things easier for a push to add money back to the town’s 2022-23 school budget.
Cathy Peschke said she learned this week the town would allow new voters to register and be added to the checklist in time to vote in the May 7 special school budget meeting. Peschke, in an email to the Valley News on Friday, said helping to add voters to the rolls “goes against my principles and my character.”
She said she objects to a ruling from the New Hampshire attorney general and secretary of state that said voters in Croydon who register now would be able vote at the special meeting, but the official count of the number of registered voters in town will remain unchanged.
The total number of Croydon voters — which officially stands at 565 — and voter turnout are crucial to the May 7 meeting, where voters will be asked to restore nearly $1 million in education spending that was slashed by voters through an amendment from the floor at a lightly attended Town Meeting in March. In order for the May vote to be binding, at least half the town’s 565 registered voters — officially 283 — have to attend.
Now, even as voters are added, those numbers will remain unchanged.
Stephen C. Buckley, legal services counsel with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, which advises town officials, said Friday that he concurs with the state’s assessment.
“The checklist your Board of Supervisors updated after official ballot voting on March 9 that was used at town and school district meetings on March 12 is the checklist that shall be used to determine if one-half of the town’s registered voters attend the special town meeting,” Buckley wrote in the email to Peschke.
Peschke has never made it a secret that she wants to see the effort to restore school funding fail. On Friday, she contended that it just doesn’t make sense to allow new voters to participate but not adjust the required turnout.
“I really don’t want to be a part of making that happen,” Peschke said. “It is a slap in the face to those who made the effort to register to vote before Feb. 26 and/or on Election Day, March 8.”
Organizers pushing for the May 7 revote say they have about 30 people who have submitted voter registration paperwork who are not yet added to the checklist. In theory, new voters will make it easier to meet the required 50% threshold.
Peschke said after hearing from the state and legal counsel, the town will start adding voters to the checklist beginning Monday, but she won’t be a part of it.
“I’m resigning on principle,” Peschke said.
Peschke opposes restoring the budget.
“I’m not going to deny where I stand on the issue,” she said. “I will not be attending the May 7 meeting, as I don’t want quorum reached. I encourage all Croydon voters to stay home as well.”
The other two members of the supervisors of the checklist are William Smith and Sue Gromis. Neither could be reached by the Valley News late Friday.
Supporters of restoring the school budget sent a mailer out on Friday. In a two-page flyer sent to registered voters, supporters asked residents to plan to attend the May 7 special meeting at 9 a.m. at Camp Coniston.
“We need everyone to talk with family, friends, and neighbors and encourage them to attend the Special Meeting,” the flyer reads.
The group has formed a website — www.standupforcroydon.com — where volunteers are raising money. As of Friday, the group’s Fundly site had raised $2,905.
Darren Marcy can be reached at dmarcy@vnews.com or 802-291-4992.