Newport voters reject budget, oust Selectboard member, back firefighters funding

Newport voters sent a divided message at the ballot box Tuesday, rejecting the town budget while approving money to keep two full-time firefighter-EMTs on the job and ousting an incumbent Selectboard member.

The town election drew 678 ballots at the LaValley Family Community Center, 17 Meadow Road, where polls were open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 12. The clearest signal from voters came in the split result: they turned down the broader spending plan, but said yes to a targeted public-safety request they appeared to view as essential.

The firefighter article passed with a $210,000 appropriation to maintain two full-time Fire Fighter/EMT positions. According to the warrant, $140,000 will come from taxes and $70,000 from the unassigned fund balance. The approved spending underscores how central fire protection remains in Newport, where the department says it operates 24/7 and provides fire, EMS and emergency response coverage.

Newport Fire Department materials say the department responds to more than 1,700 calls each year. The department is staffed by six full-time FF2 and advanced-level EMS providers, along with a fire chief, and is supported by 25 per diem or call employees. In a town of about 6,500 residents, that level of service is one of the most visible municipal functions, and Tuesday’s vote showed voters were willing to protect it even as they rejected the larger budget package.

The budget defeat puts pressure on town leaders to rebuild their numbers and make a stronger case before the next warrant cycle. With a five-member Selectboard and a town manager guiding the town’s finances, the loss will shape the tone of the next round of planning, especially if officials need to adjust spending, priorities or timelines to win broader support.

The Selectboard result adds another layer to the outcome. Voters not only rejected the budget, they also removed an incumbent from the board, a change that can affect how Newport approaches the next budget debate and how much trust residents place in town leadership. For Sullivan County’s county seat, the election was less a broad endorsement of municipal spending than a selective vote for what residents wanted preserved: firefighters first, everything else under sharper scrutiny.