Budgets, other ballot measures easily pass

TROY, N.Y. » Area voters readily approved their respective school budgets, and most ballot measures, on Tuesday.

In Troy, the $111,893,389 school budget with a tax levy of $36,832,473 passed, with 480 voting yes and 139 voting no. The budget represents a 1.54 percent tax levy increase.

Incumbent school board member Elizabeth Poleto received 469 votes, Stephanie Fitch received 470 votes, and Matthew Flowers Jr. received 480 votes. All ran unopposed for threeyear terms.

“Thank you to the Troy City School District residents who came out in support of our pro-

posed budget and Board of Education candidates,” said Superintendent John Carmello in a statement posted to the district’s website. “This year has proven to be the most difficult one in recent past for budget development, but we are confident this budget will allow us to uphold our commitment to continuing the positive trend of improved student outcomes throughout the District.”

School board Vice President and Acting President Tom Mayo also thanked voters, as well as others. “Thank you to the Board of Education and the Troy CSD administrators for their hard work in developing these plans,” he said in a release. “Congratulations to Elizabeth Poleto on her re- election to the Board and warm welcome to new Board members Stephanie Fitch and Matthew Flowers, Jr.”

Cohoes

Cohoes voters said yes to a $42,922,173 budget with a 2.92 percent increase to the tax levy; 313 voted yes, 164 voted no. Voters also approved, 312 to 155, the establishment of a Capital Reserve fund. Running for two seats on the school board were Richard Jackson, who re- ceived 339 votes, and incumbent Matthew Nolin, who received 393.

Watervliet

The $27,411,000 budget with a tax levy increase of 2.03 percent passed, with 226 voting yes, and 77 voting no. Heather Soroka was reelected to her school board seat with 209 votes. Also elected was Amanda Cavanaugh with 132 votes. They defeated Shawn Smeltzer and Theresa Dechiaro. The budget represents a 2.69 percent increase in overall spending, with a 2.03 percent tax levy increase.

Lansingburgh

The school budget ($50,696,799, representing an 8.59 percent increase) passed with 329 voting yes, and 201 voting no. The tax levy is an estimated 1.79 percent. Jason Shover ran unopposed for reelection to his school board seat with a five-year term.

Brunswick

Voters approved a $24,577,667 school budget with a 2.82 percent increase in the tax levy, with 358 voting yes, and 127 voting no. There were three open seats on the school board and two people on the ballot for them. Andrew Casale received 384 votes, and Anthony Grab got 374. Write-in candidate Danielle Roadcap received 153 votes.

East Greenbush

Voters approved the school budget of $94.3 million with 1,182 voting yes, and 488 voting no. The budget represents a 2.29 percent increase in spending over last year, and a 4.27 percent increase to the tax levy. Voters also approved a measure to purchase school buses from a reserve fund, voting 1,307 to 363, and a school bus purchase bond, 1,235 to 425. They also voted to create a new school bus purchase reserve fund, voting 1,250 to 409.

All four people running for school board were elected. Jennifer Massey received 1,317 votes, JoAnn Taylor got 1,304, John J. Dunn Jr. got 1,294, and Michele K. Skumurski got 1,287. The top three vote getters, Massey, Taylor, and Dunn, will serve three-year terms, while Skumurski’s will run from May 16 to June 30, 2019.