GHENT–With all of the six school districts in the county reporting, each of the districts’ annual budgets has won approval by a wide margin. Eight of 10 ballot propositions were also endorsed by voters, including capital projects in the Chatham and Taconic Hills districts. But in each of those districts voters rejected plans for supplemental capital spending proposals.
A chart of vote results appears below.
Germantown voters approved the $14.8-million budget proposition by 236 to 91. Voters also approved a capital reserve fund proposition, where the vote was 229 in favor and 91 opposed.
Heather Schultz won one of the two open seats on the Germantown Board of Education with 244 votes The other seat went to incumbent board member Donald Coons, who won 159 votes. The third candidate in the race, Andrew Soltano, received 135 votes.
In Hudson, the $48.7-million budget was approved with 308 votes; the No votes were 187. Two incumbents, Willette Jones, 357votes, and Lucinda Segar, 363, won reelection without opposition. Voters also okayed a proposition to transfer $715,000 to the Repair Reserve fund.
New Lebanon voters approved their district’s $12.5 million budget by a vote of 158 to 23. The two candidates for board seats, incumbents Michael Brutsch, 154, and William Buckenroth, 158, ran unopposed.
Voters in the Ichabod Crane (Kinderhook) Central School District followed the trend in the county and the region, approving the district’s $40.1-million spending plan by 747 to 292. A $476,000 vehicle purchase proposition won with 749 Yes votes to 292 in the No column. And a proposition to establish a Capital Reserve Fund of up to $5 million won 763 to 272.
The Taconic Hills budget cruised to victory 710 to 262 as did 3 of 4 ballot propositions. But the capital improvement project on the north sports complex reversed the trend, losing with 311 Yes votes to 660 No votes. David Baylen won the most votes in the three-way race for two seats, with 566. He was followed by Terry Sullivan, who won the other seat with 509. The third candidate, Joseph Costa, received 500 votes.
The vote in Chatham for the $39.1 million budget proposal was 600 Yes to 257 No. The $9.7-million Capital Project to repair and upgrade school buildings and grounds won by a slightly larger margin, 613 Yes to 244 No. But Proposition 3, which called for new security cameras costing up to $1.2 million lost by a vote of 458 No votes to 402 Yes.
There were five open seats on the Chatham school board and four incumbents on the ballot. The fifth seat was won by Graham Button, who received 77 write-in ballots and will serve a one-year term ending June 30, 2019.
SCHOOL VOTE RESULTS
Chatham
Proposed Budget
($31,936,305)
x Yes 600
No 257
Board candidates (5 seats)
x Denise Barry 632
x Beth Hover 583
x David O’Connor 604
x Patricia Wilson 569
x Graham Button (write-in) 77
Proposition 2:
$9.7mil. Capital Project
x Yes 613
No 244
Proposition 3:
$1.2 mil. Security Cameras
Yes 402
x No 458
Germantown
Proposed Budget
($14,892,359)
x Yes 236
No 91
Board candidates (2 seats)
x Donald Coons 159
x Heather Schultz 244
Andrew Soltano 135
Proposition 2:
$3 mil Capital Reserve Fund
x Yes 229
No 97
Hudson
Proposed Budget
($48,769,728)
x Yes 308
No 187
Board candidates (2 seats)
x Willette Jones 357
x Lucinda Segar 363
Proposition 2:
$715,000 transfer to
Repair Reserve Fund
x Yes 328
No 152
Ichabod Crane
Proposed Budget
($40,190,782)
x Yes 747
No 292
Board candidates (3 seats)
x John Antalek 698
x Jessica Berner 583
Brendan Caluneo 548
x Regina Rose 680
Proposition 2:
$476,020 bus purchases
x Yes 749
No 292
Proposition 3:
$5 mil. Capital Reserve Fund
x Yes 763
No 272
New Lebanon
Proposed Budget
($12,519,094)
x Yes 158
No 23
Board candidates (2 seats)
x Michael Brutsch 154
x William Buckenroth 158
Taconic Hills
Proposed Budget
($38,739,392)
x Yes 710
No 262
Board candidates (2 seats)
x David Baylen 566
Joseph Costa 500
x Theresa “Terry” Sullivan 509
Proposition 3:
$7.1 mil. for Capital Improvement Project
x Yes 635
No 341
Proposition 4:
$6.6 mil. Capital Improvement
Project north sports complex
Yes 311
x No 660
Proposition 5:
$404,800 for 5 school buses
x Yes 704
No 265
Proposition 6:
$118,836 from fund balance to replace bus lift
x Yes 760
No 197