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
