Facilities vote on Jan. 22, 2008

Please see below for very important information about the CCS budget vote.

You do not need to own property to vote. Renters can vote if they otherwise meet the criteria. If you cannot vote in person, please vote absentee. Pay attention to the requirements below to get absentee ballots - do it now!!. Couples: both members can and should vote.

If you haven't registered but are qualified, please register so you can vote. Registration is (as shown below) on Jan. 3 (less than 2 weeks from now).

Please pass this along to anyone who lives in the district!!

When and where is the vote?

The referendum will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, from 12 – 9 p.m. at Mary E. Dardess Elementary School.

Who can vote?

There are a few qualifications that must be met in order to be eligible to vote on January 22.

You must be

a citizen of the United States
18 years of age or older
a resident of the Chatham Central School District for more than 30 days preceding the vote
registered to vote with either the School District or with Columbia County Board of Elections

If you have not previously registered and you would like to vote on this referendum, you must register with the School District Board of Registration.

Those individuals who are not on either the County list or the School District Register List will not be allowed to vote.

You do have a chance to register with the District on Thursday, January 3, 2008, between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the lobby of the M.E.D. Elementary School.

Do you accept absentee ballots? - VERY IMPORTANT, READ THIS!!

Yes. If you wish to have an absentee ballot mailed to you, you must first request an application for the absentee ballot from the District Clerk at least seven days prior to the vote (mailing address: District Clerk, CHATHAM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, 50 Woodbridge Avenue, Chatham, NY 12037)

If you wish to apply for an absentee ballot that you will be submitting in person, you must apply in the District Clerk’s office prior to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2008. All absentee ballots must be received in the District Office by 5:00 p.m. on January 22, 2008.

If you want more information, call the district (392-2400, ask for the district clerk) or send an e-mail to this blog at chathamny@gmail.com .

Board Approves Final Facilities Proposition (click page below to enlarge)

At its Nov. 27 meeting, the board approved the final form of the propositions to be voted upon in a referendum on Jan. 22, 2008. The basic proposition (#1) is approximately as indicated before at around $25 million, but the enhanced proposition (#2) has increased from $4.6 to $9.8 million, for a total of $35 million. Approximately $12 million of the $47 million in the original proposal has been totally eliminated. Some of the items have been shifted from #1 to #2 or vice versa to come up with the final proposal.

The vote is Jan. 22, 2008. Absentee ballotting is permitted. Here is the link to the form of the proposition: http://www.chathamcentralschools.com/district_office/CapitalProjectReferendumApproved.pdf

The final breakdown is shown above (click to enlarge) or go to http://www.chathamcentralschools.com/district_office/CapProjectNewsletterApprovedConcD12.pdf