Sunday, May 18, 2014

2014 Budget and Board of Election vote


The annual budget vote and board election will be held on Tuesday, May 20 from 9AM to 9PM in the MED gym.

I attended the budget hearing on Tuesday (as well as a number of other budget presentations). The budget, which I support, calls for an increase in the tax levy of .66%, just a hair below the NYS tax cap for the district. If the budget is defeated, a revised budget can be proposed, or a contingency budget can be proposed. If the budget is defeated a second time, the board must adopt a contingency budget which requires the tax levy to be the same as last year, i.e., no increase in the levy at all.

A contingency budget limits certain types of spending and reduces the ability of the board to fund specified projects and programs while requiring the funding of others.

The board election has 8 candidates running for 4 open seats. I attended the candidates’ forum Thursday night in which each candidate was asked to respond to each of 8 questions in the League of Women Voters format. Here are my recommendations:

Jim Marks and Gail Day (both incumbents running for re-election). I have dealt with them over the past few years and while I don’t always agree with their positions, they are dedicated and hard-working board members.

 Ed Knight (incumbent running for re-election). He was appointed to fill an unexpired term. He has been relatively quiet at board meetings (as a new board member still feeling his way) but he handled himself well at the forum.

 Ted Miner. I think the board needs some diversity and Ted will bring that. He has some unusual and occasionally out-of-the-box ideas (along with a somewhat unique style of delivery) that I hope will stimulate the type of debate and consideration  that I have rarely seen at board meetings, and whose lack is and has been, in my opinion, a weakness of the board.
 
In summary:

 Budget: vote YES

Board election: Marks, Day, Knight, Miner
 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Please vote