By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
As a result of the May 16 Fayetteville-Manlius school board election and budget vote, the $80.7 million 2017-18 budget has been approved and candidates Kelly Fumarola, Rebecca Cohen and Timothy Crisafulli were elected to the board of education.
The budget was approved with 1,942 yes to 775 no votes. The 2017-18 budget totals of $80.7 million, which is a $1.1 million increase , or 1.39 percent increase, from last year’s budget. The proposed tax levy increase is $1.1 million, a 1.96 percent tax levy increase.
“We appreciate our residents taking time out of their busy days to head to the polls and vote,” Superintendent Craig J. Tice said in a press release. “Our goal each year is to strike a balance between maintaining quality programs while being mindful of the budget’s financial impact on taxpayers. We believe this budget meets the most pressing needs of our students and does so with a tax levy increase below two percent.”
Five candidates ran for three open seats on the F-M Board of Education: Stewart L. Weisman, Timothy Crisafulli, Daniel Seidberg, Kelly Fumarola and Rebecca Cohen. The three candidates elected with terms of three years were Fumarola with 1,769 votes, Cohen with 1,574 votes and Crisafulli with 1,454 votes. Seidberg received 1,194 votes and Weisman 814 votes.
The proposal to purchase five new school buses was approved 2,009 yes to 698 no. A proposal to create a $10 million capital reserve fund was approves 1,987 yes to 703 no. Authorizing the district to spend $817,467 of previously voter authorized unexpended capital project funds at Fayetteville Elementary School was approved 2,128 yes to 578 no.
Supporting the Manlius Library at an amount of 1.3 million was approved 1,721 yes to 703 no. The Fayetteville Free Library proposal for $1.9 million was not approved with 1,091 yes and 1,600 no.
These results do not include the 70 absentee ballots, but they will not change the outcome of any of the votes.
