Guilderland Central School District voters approved an $85,320,425 budget on Tuesday, May 19, with 1,994 affirmative votes, and 1,423 opposed (see related story, page 5). The budget represents a 1.79 percent increase in spending and will raise the tax rate close to 0.06 percent.
Superintendent John McGuire said he is happy the community decided to come out and support the budget. He said while many have acknowledged the tough economy, approving the budget affirms that the spending plan is in the best interest of the taxpayers and the students.
He said crafting a budget is an arduous eight-month process that begins in October and involves input from the board, the community and the citizens budget advisory committee.
I want to offer a sincere thank you to our community, said McGuire.
As residents left polling locations, they weighed in on the budget, with some in favor of the spending plan and others unhappy with any tax increase.
Ann Wood, a district resident for 47 years and longtime voter, said she did not support the budget.
`I can’t afford it anymore,` she said.
Peter Ryan, a district resident for 36 years, said he supported the budget because it provided students and staff with the resources needed for a good education.
He said he suspected many people would be voting against the budget, and he came out because he `wanted to make sure the school district was able to function.`
Incumbent Richard Weisz, president of the board of education, who was re-elected to the board Tuesday, said he suspects the next three years will bring obstacles, but he and the district are up to the task.
`I’m looking forward to the challenges in the next three years,` Weisz said. `We have a lot of energy in the district, a lot to work on. Let’s play ball.`
He said he is `gratified` that full-day kindergarten was part of the final budget. It was something he fought to have included, arguing it was likely to be mandated soon and the opportunity to use federal stimulus money is limited to the next two years.
He acknowledged that it was a contentious issue, but said the approval of the budget shows a majority of the community is on board with the district’s spending plan.
Guilderland voters approved a bus proposition for nine additional buses and a maintenance truck with a vote of 2,069-to-1,329. Voorheesville approved a proposition to purchase a new, 60-passenger bus, not to exceed $99,600 at a vote of 574-to-270.
Guilderland elected three members to the board of education: Weisz with 1,659 votes, Denise Eisele with 1,864 votes, and newcomer Julie Cuneo, the leading vote getter, with 2,266 votes.
Cuneo, who filled the seat of the late Hy Dubowski, was unavailable for comment.
Allan Simpson, a 10-year district resident who finished with 1,618 votes, and high school student Elijah Sharma, who received 1,431, also ran.
Simpson said he was proud of his 1,600 votes, considering he had less name recognition than other candidates.
`I think that’s pretty good, almost beating an incumbent,` he said. `I’m disappointed I lost, but am I surprised? Not really. To come that close on your first time, you can’t beat yourself up.`
He said as an accountant he wanted to bring a financial element to the board, someone to handle `budgeting, accounting and numbers.`
He added he wanted to congratulate everyone who ran, and all the winners, and made special note of Sharma’s campaign.
He commended him for `having the courage at age 18 to put his name in the hat.`
Sharma, who would have been the youngest, and first openly gay, member to serve if elected, said he was thankful for the support he received and plans on continuing to try to affect positive change.
One voter said he voted for Sharma based on his support of transferred high school teacher Matt Nelligan, last summer.
`I had Nelligan, and I’m not a big fan of Richard Weisz’s decision,` said Jordan Beiber, a student at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
Sharma said he will continue to work for a positive educational environment.
`To all those who voted for me, I promise to never waver in my support of you and that my dedication to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have inspired and touched me with your dedication to our schools and our community,` Sharma said in a written statement. `I’m going to keep doing what I was doing long before I even thought of running for the board of education and what I will keep doing now that the race is over: working to make sure that every student in our schools has the opportunities I had and make sure that all students are able to live up to their highest potential. Let us move toward the future with this as our uniting value.`
Voorheesville residents approve budget
The Voorheesville Central School District approved its budget, 566-to-290.
Voorheesville’s budget is $21,662,438, and represented no increase in spending from 2008 to 2009. The estimated tax levy increase is 1.67 percent.
Raymond Colucciello, superintendent for the Voorheesville Central School District, said he was glad the voters supported the budget.
`I am very, very, pleased that the community gave the support to the budget that they did,` said Colucciello.
He said it is a difficult economy, and hard financial times are ahead, but a positive vote for the budget shows that the district provided the community and the students with what they need.
`They appreciate the value of the schools and the values of what their kids are getting,` Colucciello said.
Voorheesville elected incumbents Cheryl Dozier, with 653 votes, and James Coffin with 497. Newcomer Justin Brusgul finished with 339.
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