Shen voters OK $146M budget

SARATOGA COUNTY — Residents approved a $146 million 2008-09 Shenendehowa Central School District budget Tuesday that increases taxes by 3.69 percent.

The vote to approve the budget was 2,615-2,304.

Clifton Park homeowners with an average assessed property value of $143,919 will receive a tax bill of $4,061, or $145 more than last year.

Voter turnout was strong, with 4,919 voters at the polls, compared to 3,717 last year.

“We feel great,” Board of Education President Bill Casey said late Tuesday night. “I’m always a bit nervous, especially in these tough economic times. Price hikes on fuel, utilities and food have hit our residents on a smaller scale, and for the schools, it’s a large-scale hit. But we’re very pleased with the budget as it stands; we’re able to move ahead on programs while keeping the tax rate low.”

With property assessment valuations not being completed until July or August, district officials erred on the side of caution when calculating revenues.

The approved budget safeguards district wide priorities, including continuing a multiyear textbook purchase plan, providing additional nursing and athletic training staff to cover sports venues and field trips, supporting a multiyear phase-in of a freshman seminar to help students adjust to ninth grade, and initiating a Math-Science-Technology Academy in each curriculum area.

Also at the polls Tuesday, two of three candidates vying for two seats on Shenendehowa's Board of Education were elected. Incumbent Mary Wiggins earned her second term with 3,096 votes, and newcomer Mary Blaauboer earned 2,749 votes. The third candidate, Erin Wallace, received 2,059 votes. Each seat carries a three-year term.

Residents of the Saratoga Springs City School District, the county’s second largest school district, passed the $107.3 million budget by a vote of 2,399 to 1,352.

The budget includes a 2.9 percent spending increase from the 2007-08 budget. Tax rate increases range from 2 percent to 6 percent.

Voters also approved a $3.2 million site improvement proposition for work at the Dorothy Nolan Elementary School and the high school as well as a $845,000 bus purchase proposition.

Incumbent board members Mia Pfitzer, Jeffrey Piro and Frank Palumbo were all re-elected to three-year terms, unopposed.

In other budget votes around the county:

BALLSTON SPA

In Ballston Spa, voters approved a $70.1 million budget with an anticipated 1.5 percent tax hike for the next school year. They also elected two school board members from three candidates.

Incumbents Jeanne Obermayer and Frank Townley were elected to the school board.

Voters also agreed to spend nearly $900,000 to replace buses and $503,000 to renovate or repair school buildings.

Propositions to fund the Ballston Area Community Center and the Ballston Spa Public Library were also approved.

BURNT HILLS-

BALLSTON LAKE

Voters approved a $52.2 million budget with an average tax increase expected to be 4.5 percent.

District spokeswoman Christy Multer said surveys of voters as they left polling sites yielded complaints about property taxes and compliments about school programs.

“We’ll be looking at the exit polling results later,” she said.

Voters also approved the purchase of five school buses and elected three people to the school board. They are incumbents John Blowers, Nancy Della Pia and Joe Pericone.

Corinth

Voters in the Corinth Central School District voted down the district’s $21.7 million 2008-09 budget along with a $261,962 proposition to purchase three school buses.

The voting on the budget, which was a 9.3 percent spending increase from the 2007-08 budget, was 393 against and 278 in favor. The bus proposition vote was 353 against and 315 in favor.

Mechanicville

Voters in the Mechanicville City School District easily approved a $20.4 million budget by a vote of 532-334. The budget will raise taxes by 2.83 percent.

Voters also approved a proposition to lease one 66-passenger school bus for five years and one 30-passenger school bus for three years. The cost for the two buses combined will not exceed $24,735.

The two incumbent candidates, Shannon McHale and Joanne Boisvert-Fraser, defeated challengers John Southworth, Rhonda Breen and John Zacher. Boisvert-Fraser received 345 votes; McHale, 341; Breen, 320; Southworth, 319; and Zacher, 297.

sCHUYLERVILLE

Voters in the Schuylerville Central School District approved the district’s $30.4 million 2008-09 budget 586-320.

The voters also approved a $246,000 bus transportation proposition 550 votes to 264 votes. Incumbent board members Karen Score and Denise Zdobnikow were both re-elected to new terms without opposition.

SOUTH GLENS FALLS

Voters in the South Glens Falls Central School District rejected a $50.9 million 2008-09 budget 944 to 839.

The proposed budget was a 4.9 percent spending increase from the 2007-08 budget but included a tax rate decrease for the first time in many years, according to district officials.

The district’s $5 million capital reserve fund proposition was also rejected 984-787. Voters did, however, approve a $464,000 bus transportation proposition 986-787.

School board Vice President Robert D. Fitzgerald was re-elected to a two-year term on the board, Jeff Rigi was elected to a five-year term and incumbent Bethney Lorie-Denno was re-elected to a five-year term.

sTILLWATER

In the Stillwater Central School District, voters approved the 2008-09 budget of $18.2 million budget by a count of 320 to 269. The budget will increase spending by 3.3 percent and raise taxes by 2.9 percent.

Five people were running uncontested for five seats on the school board. The top three vote-getters were elected to three-year terms and the bottom two to one-year terms.

Elected to three-year terms were newcomers Tom Zimmerman, with 372 votes, and Andy Roy, 359, and incumbent Larry D’Alberto, 346. Incumbent Jay Peacock received 338 votes and will serve a one-year term, as will challenger Priscilla Mueller, who received 291 votes.

Two propositions related to a capital reserve fund for work at the elementary school also passed easily.

GALWAY

In Galway, voters elected an 18-year-old high school senior and two school board veterans to the Board of Education.

Bradley Rooke will take office in July, just a week after graduating from high school. Also elected Tuesday were current school board Vice President John Sutton and incumbent board member Joan Slagle.

Voters also approved a $17.4 million budget with an average 3.4 percent property tax increase and a lease agreement for six school buses.

WATERFORD-HALFMOON

Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District voters approved the proposed 2008-09 budget, 209-102. The plan calls for a tax increase of 2.4 percent .

The $18.2 million budget is $548,286 higher than last year. Three candidates ran unopposed for school board seats: Richard Charron, 256 votes; and Marcia Ricci, 254, and newcomer Thomas Lansing, 245.

Voters also approved the lease of a school bus for five years for $8.955.