On May 17, Fayetteville-Manlius School District voters approved the district’s $79.6 million 2016-17 budget proposal, elected three board of education members and approved five bus purchases, as well as adding a student member to the school board.
The following results include the absentee ballots.
Voters approved:
- A $79,619,741 budget for the 2016-17 school year that increases spending 0.89 percent ($702,350) and carries a 1.88 percent tax levy increase: 1,738 yes; 519 no;
- Authorizing the F-M Board of Education to add a nonvoting student member to the board: 1,854 yes; 397 no;
- Purchasing five new school buses at a total cost not to exceed $592,908: 1,684 yes; 559 no;
- Supporting the Fayetteville Free Library, $1,790,584: 1,408 yes; 833 no; and
- Supporting The Manlius Library, $1,263,965: 1,495 yes; 741 no.
Six candidates sought election to three open board of education seats. They are:
Daryll Fitch Wheeler: 1,429 votes; incumbent Elena Romano: 1,044 votes; incumbent Kim Swanson: 903 votes; Matthew Napierala: 901 votes; Mary McGuire: 761 votes; and Nancy K. McDaniel: 719 votes.
The terms are three years, beginning July 1 and will be filled by Daryll Fitch Wheeler, Elena Romano and Kim Swanson.
“We appreciate our residents taking the time out of their busy days to head to the polls and vote,” said Superintendent Craig J. Tice. “With this budget in place, we believe we will be able to continue fulfilling our district mission of providing all students with an excellent education, as well as being a school district our community can be proud to call its own.”
The 2016-17 tax levy increase of 1.88 percent is below the district’s calculated tax levy limit of 1.89 percent, per the state’s property tax levy cap law. The limit does not cap how much a district can raise through property taxes. Instead, it determines at what level a school district must have a supermajority (60 percent) rather than a simple majority (50 percent plus one) approve the budget proposal.
Because F-M proposed a budget with a tax levy increase lower than its allowable limit, the budget required a simple majority vote for authorization.
In addition to the budget, voters authorized the board to add a non-voting student member. The student will attend all public board meetings and be allowed to participate in all public discussion and voice opinions. The student member will not be allowed to attend executive or exempt sessions, which are portions of the meeting in which the law allows board members to discuss privately matters such as proposed, pending or current litigation.
More information about the budget and propositions are available at fmschools.org/budget.
