VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS
Area residents eye budget proposals, school board candidates
TROY, N.Y. » Voters took to the polls Tuesday despite there being few heated school board races, or controversial budgets.
Voter turnout was a bit slow at the School 12 polling location. Election inspectors Brenda Harrison, and Gary Pavlic said that between polls opening at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. only 16 people had voted, though they expected an uptick at around 5 p.m. Voter turnout tends to be low when there’s little controversy over ballot items.
That didn’t stop Erika Groff, of 2nd Street, from casting her ballot.
“I want to support the school,” she said.
Groff has four children in the Troy school system. “Some people will say, ‘I don’t have time for that,’ but it still affects us, because if no one votes (the budget) won’t pass and we have to go back to the contingency budget,” she said.
Malinda Kerwin, of Crestwood Avenue, also voted shortly after noon. “I always
vote,” she said. “I don’t have any kids in school anymore, but I did for many, many years. It’s important.”
She said she feels the budget, — $111,893,389, with a tax levy of $36, 832,473 — is the best one the Board of Education could come up with.
“I think they’re doing the best they can do,” she said. “The only thing I wish for is that there were more people who wanted to run for school board, not that there’s anything wrong with these three.”
There was no competition for the three people seeking a seat on the school board this election cycle. Incumbent Elizabeth Poleto, along with Stephanie Fitch, and Matthew Flowers Jr. ran unopposed for threeyear terms.
The school tax levy in Troy
is a 1.54 percent increase over last year’s. According to the district, the average homeowner will see a $33 increase on their annual school tax bill.
In Cohoes, voters had
to say yes or no to a $ 42,922,173 budget, and a 2.92 percent increase to the tax levy. They also had to decide upon a capital reserve fund. Two people ran for school board, they being Richard Jackson and Matthew Nolin.
Watervliet voters had before them a $27,411,000 budget with a tax levy increase
of 2.03 percent. According to the district, it’s estimated that taxpayers would see an increase of $16 more per $100,000 of assessed property value. Those in Mannsville would see their bills rise by $24 more per $100,000 of assessed value.
Four candidates were running for two seats on the school board: Heather So-
roka, Shawn Smeltzer, Theresa Dechiaro, and Amanda Cavanaugh.
In East Greenbush, the budget was $94.3 million, up 2.29 percent from last year with a tax levy increase of 4.27 percent. Voters were also to decide upon purchasing 10 new school buses. Four people were running for four seats on the school
board, they being John Dunn, Jennifer Massey, Michele Skumurski, and JoAnn Taylor, all incumbents.
The Lansingburgh Central School District budget was for $50,696,799 budget, representing an 8.59 percent increase. Jason Shover ran unopposed for his school board seat. The budget calls for the hiring
of 12 new employees, and funding additional services and programs.
The Brunswick Central School District budget was $24,577,667 with a 2.82 percent increase in the tax levy. There were three open seats on the school board and two people on the ballot for them. They are: Andrew Casale, and Anthony Grab.