Write-in Candidate Among Mt. Pleasant School Board Winners

A late write-in candidate was swept to victory by a wave of Mount Pleasant School voters Tuesday night.

John Piazza, who served on the school board from 2006 to 2009, will be joining incumbent Thomas McCabe and first-time candidate Colleen Scaglione Neglia on the Board of Education in July to begin their three-year terms.

The heavy volume of write-in votes took district officials two hours to tabulate after the polls closed at 9 p.m. at the Westlake High School gymnasium.

McCabe topped all vote-getters with 1,548, including absentee ballots. Scaglione Neglia received 1,516 votes and Piazza collected 1,050 write-in votes.

Coming up short in their bids were Catherine Tully (559 votes) and Peter Peale (507 votes).

Board President James Grieco and fellow incumbent Trustee Vincent D’Ambroso did not seek re-election.

The proposed $59,092,000 2015-16 budget was overwhelmingly approved by voters, 1,322-679. The budget includes a tax rate increase of .95 percent. Property taxes on the average home in the district, which is assessed at $8,300, will rise $92 in 2015-16.

Piazza said he decided to run less than a week ago.

“After meeting the candidates I just didn’t have the confidence in some of the candidates,” Piazza said. “I think that my background and experience with school construction may be an asset to the schools. Hopefully, I’ll do whatever I can because at the end of the day, it’s just all about the kids.”

During the past week, Piazza’s supporters sent out e-mails and press releases about his surprise candidacy. On Sunday they also held a rally outside the Thornwood Town Center.

Although Piazza and his backers never mentioned by name the candidates they opposed, they made it known they were also supporting McCabe and Neglia.

McCabe said he appreciated the public’s support.

“The town determined there were some candidates they wanted to support and candidates they didn’t want to support,” McCabe said. “I was born and raised here. It’s just a great district to be in.”

McCabe said he was gratified that the proposed budget was approved by  more than a 2-1 margin.

“I really think the message got across about this budget,” he said. “People in Mount Pleasant stood tall and really came together.”

Neglia said she was “excited and nervous all at the same time” about being elected. She said her strong presence in the community over the last year or two helped her. Neglia was a co-president of the Westlake Middle School PTA and a member of the district’s Education Committee.

“I was someone that everybody saw out there and involved and participating and I think that helped,” she said.

Though there were several signs posted in town urging support for Tully and Peale, Tully said they did not run as a ticket. Despite her defeat, she was pleased by the turnout.

“I’m very happy that it looks like a lot of people came out to vote,” Tully said. “There’s no voter apathy this time. I wish everyone good luck.”

Tully said she lost because of the large volume of voters who were concerned the budget might have been defeated if they didn’t participate.

Peale declined to comment after the results were announced.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Guiney appreciated the support for the budget.

“It was a very interesting night,” she said. “I have to say an enormous thank you to the community for coming out and showing its support for public education and our schools and our kids.”

Guiney said “record numbers” of voters participated, which helped the outcome, especially in light of the two resounding infrastructure proposition defeats.

“In the wake of the two bond votes, of course we were worried about the budget,” Guiney said. “The budget was conservative. We listened to the community and we’re very happy that it passed.”