By Jason Emerson
Editor
Although voter turnout was low, Cazenovia Central School District residents yesterday overwhelmingly approved the district’s 2016-17 budget by a 7-to-1 ratio. In addition, voters supported the purchase of four new school busses, the operating budgets of the Cazenovia and New Woodstock libraries and the reelection of two incumbent Board of Education members.
The district’s $28 million budget — that funds all current district programs, does not exceed this year’s state-mandated tax cap of zero percent and uses no district reserve funds — was approved by a vote of 383 to 49, said Assistant Superintendent Thomas Finnerty as he read off the election results on Tuesday, May 17.
“It was a responsible budget and voters saw that and approved it by a 7-to-1 margin,” said BOE President Jan Woodworth.
“We’re thankful for the support of all the work that went into the creation of the budget, which was made in collaboration with the administration, the school board, parents, students and the public,” said Superintendent Matt Reilly.
Also on the ballot, voters approved:
— The purchase of four new 66-passenger school busses at a cost of $461,341, by a vote of 383 to 50.
— The operating budgets for both the Cazenovia Public Library ($394,916) and the New Woodstock Free Library ($161,948), by a vote of 376 to 56.
— The reelection Board of Education members Kathy Hahn (379 votes) and Lisa Lounsbury (386 votes), who both ran unopposed.
