Voters approved school budgets in local districts Tuesday night, including ones in Gloversville and Northville that exceeded their state-imposed tax caps.
The Gloversville Enlarged School District budget and the Northville Central School District budget received more than the 60 percent approval needed for passage.
“Whenever you override the tax cap, it’s always a concern. We looked at the history of the past four or five years and the community has been very supportive of the budget. We are very gracious that they are going to continue to support us,” Gloversville Superintendent Michael Vanyo said after the vote Tuesday.
The 2016-17 Gloversville school budget of $60.8 million exceeds the tax cap even though the tax levy won’t change. The negative tax-cap calculation, based on a state formula, was the result of low inflation and the district’s reduction in debt, school district officials said.
The district would have needed to lower its tax levy by 6 percent in order to meet the tax cap. Meeting the tax cap would have required the district to cut another $868,000 from the budget, district officials said.
The Gloversville budget is down 4 percent from the $63.4 million budget for 2015-16.
Voters approved the budget in a vote of 371-161, representing approval by more than 69 percent of the voters.
The current school tax rate for the city is $21.93 per $1,000 of assessed value.
To lower the budget, the district cut five teaching positions through retirements. Vanyo said the district was able to reduce the number of teaching jobs because of declining enrollment.
Some of the budget cuts also include $10,000 from Board of Education funds for travel and reduced summer guidance hours. Vanyo said driver’s education won’t return.
The budget includes the purchase of two buses for $243,341. The state will reimburse the district for 90 percent of the cost.
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In the Gloversville school board election, three incumbents, Vincent Salvione, Robert Curtis and Kevin Kucel, were re-elected. Salvione received 407 votes, Curtis 416 and Kucel 440.
Northville Central School District voters passed the $10.6 million 2016-17 budget by a vote of 260-162.
The budget includes a 1.75 percent tax-levy increase, exceeding the tax cap. The budget was approved by 62 percent of the voters.
In Northville school board elections, John Knapp was elected with 295 votes. He ran unopposed.
Meanwhile, Candace Fraiser, Sarah Matarazzo and Peggy Young were elected to serve as Northville library trustees.
In voting in other local school districts Tuesday:
Johnstown
Greater Johnstown School District voters overwhelmingly passed the district’s $33.4 million budget for 2016-17 and elected three people to the school board.
Two of the three election winners were write-in candidates.
The budget – increasing the tax levy by 1.62 percent or $127,425 – was approved 340-101.
“Thanks to the community for the support,” district Superintendent Robert DeLilli said following the vote count Tuesday night.
Also approved by a more than 3-1 ratio was a proposition to use approximately $467,264 from the district’s bus reserve fund. That vote was 354-84. Three 66-passenger buses, costing about $119,754 each, will be purchased. With the approval, the district will pay off a $108,000 emergency bus lease made in the 2014-15 school year.
There were three vacancies on the Board of Education. Board Vice President Jennifer Sponnoble sought re-election. Other seats up were those of board President Paul VanDenburgh and Kathy Dougherty, but they declined to submit paperwork to run.
The only name on the ballot was Sponnoble, who will return to the board with 357 votes. Write-in candidates Greg Truckenmiller with 159 votes and Dougherty, with 131 votes, will fill out the two vacancies if they accept the position.
Dougherty, who earlier decided not to formally seek re-election, later sought support on Facebook.
DeLilli said he will formally ask Truckenmiller and Dougherty today if they will accept three-year terms. The board terms begin in July.
Budget figures show the new spending plan totals $33.4 million. There would be a 0.18 percent spending increase over the district’s current 2015-16 budget.
The district’s projected property tax-levy increase of $127,425 represents an increase of 1.62 percent, within the state levy tax cap. The total levy for 2016-17 will be $8.01 million.
Total state aid in the budget is at $19.2 million – up $264,866 from the current school year.
One of the biggest expenses in the budget next school year is $8.8 million in employee benefits – up by $674,006.
Broadalbin-Perth
Broadalbin-Perth Central School District voters passed the district’s $34 million budget, which will increase the tax levy by 1.9 percent. The vote was 768-433.
Voters also approved a $39.7 capital project, the purchasing of three school buses and four passenger vans, and a proposition to buy 3.8 acres adjacent to the Perth campus to allow for expanded parking and improved traffic flow. The capital project passed by a vote of 698-498.
Ryan Crane was elected to a five-year term on the Board of Education with 703 votes. Stephen Syzdek was elected to fill the remainder of a term that will expire June 30, 2017, with 595 votes.
Mayfield
Mayfield Central School District voters approved a $17.5 million budget by a vote of 247-54. The budget will decrease the tax levy by 0.66 percent.
The budget increases spending by 2.69 percent, or $456,605.
Voters also approved the purchase of three buses in a vote of 253-49.
Jennifer Andrews-Leise took a seat on the Board of Education with 230 votes, compared to Frederick Castiglione, who received 69 votes.
Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville
Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District residents voted 523-292 to approve the district’s $18.8 million budget, which has a property tax levy of $4.78 million and increases spending by 0.21 percent, or $39,659.
Both of the district’s propositions, one of which rolled over a capital reserve fund and the other for buses, passed. Proposition 1 passed 468-341, and Proposition 2 passed 471-331.
Two incumbent school board members were re-elected. They are Susanne Sammons, who received 471 votes, and Dean Handy, who received 428. Voters also elected Linda Hart, who received 382 votes.
Wheelerville
Voters in the Wheelerville Union Free School District overwhelmingly approved the district’s $4.4 million budget proposal in a vote of 103-19. The budget decreases spending by 0.87 percent and includes no tax-levy increase.
The district’s proposition to use $110,000 of its bus reserve fund was approved 99-22.
Michael Bruce was re-elected to the school board with 99 votes. Write-in candidate Amie Waddle received 26 votes. Both were elected to three-year terms, which start July 1.
Fonda-Fultonville
Voters in the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District approved the $26.7 million 2016-17 budget in a 287-41 vote.
The budget includes no tax- levy increase and represents a 2.74 percent increase in spending over the 2015-16 budget.
“I would like to thank residents who came out to vote on the budget and elect our board members,” Superintendent Thomas Ciaccio said. “I hope the budget presentations we gave to the community in recent weeks were helpful, and we hope to expand them next year.”
Voters re-elected Bonnie Couture and Matt Sullivan to the Board of Education for three-year terms. Couture received 262 votes and Sullivan received 279.
Voters also approved a pair of propositions to allocate $16,089 to the Frothingham Free Library in Fonda, 299-27, and $12,000 to the Fort Hunter Free Library by a vote of 287-39.
Canajoharie
Voters approved the Canajoharie Central School District’s 2016-17 $21.3 million budget by a vote of 368-147.
The budget increases spending by 1.35 percent over the current budget and has a tax-levy increase of 1 percent.
Voters also elected Scott Ferguson and incumbent Carol Balfe to the Board of Education. Ferguson, who received the most votes, won a five-year term on the board. Balfe, as the second- highest vote recipient, will serve on the board for one year.
Fort Plain
Fort Plain voters approved the $19.5 million 2016-17 budget in a vote of 173-31.
The budget calls for no tax- levy increase. The budget increases spending by 2.68 percent over the 2015-16 budget.
District residents who voted also approved the purchase of school vehicles for a cost up to $250,000 by a vote of 158-45.
Incumbent board members Ronald F. Kardash and L. Joseph Bartholomew were re-elected with 176 and 170 votes, respectively.
Wells
The Wells Central School District’s $5.7 million budget proposal passed 159-39 Tuesday night.
The budget includes a tax-levy increase of 1.2 percent, which is below the state tax cap.
Spending increases 1.7 percent.
A proposition to buy a 30-passenger school bus on the ballot also passed, 159-39.
Incumbent Dorman Reese won a seat on the Board of Education with 133 votes.
