P’ville, Chappaqua Voters Pass School Budgets
Voters in four local school districts gave the thumbs up to the 2011-12 budgets.
In Pleasantville, district officials breathed a sigh of relief as the $44.8 million spending plan for next year, carrying a 1.69 percent tax increase, was approved 1,140 to 1,006. Last year, the budget narrowly passed by 11 votes.
Lois Winkler was re-elected to the school board, with Louis Conte, who ran for the second straight year, finishing second in the three-candidate race. Winkler received 1,311 votes to Conte’s 1,136. Angela Vella came in third with 1,097 votes. Conte will replace Board President Sol Skolnick, who did not seek re-election.
Despite a high level of debate in Chappaqua, the district’s $111.4 million passed easily, 1,348 to 721. District taxpayers in New Castle will see their taxes rise by an estimated 2.11 percent while the small number of homeowners in Mount Pleasant will see a sharp 6.85 percent reduction.
In the race for two board seats, first time candidates Victoria Tipp and Karen Visser will replace retiring incumbents Janet Benton and Gregg Bresner. Tipp was the leading vote-getter in the three-candidate race with 1,309 while Visser picked up 1,106. Robert Fleisher, who entered the race last week after the district reopened the period to submit petitions once former candidate Arthur Fried withdrew, finished third with 966 votes.
Mount Pleasant School District residents approved a $51.3 million 2011-12 budget, which includes a 3.9 percent property tax hike, by a margin of 770-548.
Voters re-elected Trustee Laurie Donato and elected first time candidate Eric Schulze to three-year terms on the board of education. Donato, who will begin her second term in July, received 913 votes. Schulze picked up 901 votes and another first-time candidate, Yvonne Last, garnered 350.
Byram Hills voters approved the district’s $78.6 million budget by more than a 3-to-1 margin (971-307). Incumbents Brett Summers and Ira Schulman ran unopposed for two seats.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/