By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
Residents in the East Syracuse Minoa School District voted 661 to 150 to approve the $78.0 million 2017-18 budget, and voted three members to the board of education.
The budget totals $78.0 million, which reflects a 1.72 percent budget increase. ESM received a 0.85 percent ($443,284) increase in Foundation Aid over the current school year. The estimated tax levy increase is 0.32 percent ($143,786) over 2016-17.
On a home assessed at $100,000, the overall tax bill increase for 2017-18 after the Basic STAR exemption would be approximately $5.50. For senior citizens with Enhanced STAR, the tax bill would increase $2.73 for 2017-2018. In general, the tax increase equates to approximately eight cents per $1,000 of assessed property value annually.
Three candidates ran for three seats open on the board of education: Lori Aird, Susan Cain and Amalia Skandalis. The two candidates with the highest number of votes Cain (676 votes) and Aird (671 votes), will serve four-year terms and Skandalis (599 votes) will serve a two-year term.
A proposition to purchase school buses at a cost not to exceed $618,995 from the 2016 Bus Purchase Reserve Fund was approved with 680 yes to 133 votes. Another proposition to create a 2017 Capital Reserve Fund was approved with 660 yes to 147 no votes.
The East Syracuse Library funding of $320,956 was approved with 638 yes to 170 no votes.
