Voters approve budget, new board members

TRI-COUNTY AREA--Area voters approved all school budgets and propositions during the elections held Tuesday, May 19. Each district also saw the election of school board candidates, with each district adding at least one new member to their respective boards.

Dundee voters approved the $17,325,343 2015-16 budget with 161 yes votes and 100 no votes. The budget required 60 percent voter approval since the 3.9 percent tax levy increase put the district over the state tax cap calculation. The proposition to expend $210,000 from the 2011 bus purchase reserve fund for the purchase of additional vehicles also passed 195 to 62.
Wendy Gibson and Andrew Simmons secured seats on the board of education with 213 and 179 votes respectively. Nicholas Sorce's bid was unsuccessful, receiving 118 votes.
Penn Yan voters approved their 2015-16 budget with 724 votes in favor and 162 votes against. The $33,607,526 budget contains a 1.42 tax levy increase. A proposition to purchase two 65-passenger school buses along with two seven-passenger Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles also passed 712 votes to 176. The vehicles hIn Watkins Glen, their 2015-16 budget totaling $25,557,076 passed 307 votes to 101. The tax levy next year will increase to 1.9 percent.
Barbara Schimizzi and Kelly McCarthy were both elected to the school boardave a total estimated cost of $290,000.
Incumbents Loni Terpolilli and Elizabeth Warren each retained their seats with 647 and 615 votes respectively. Renee Bloom also secured a spot on the board of education with 500 votes, while Pamela Whitford and Bonnie Barkley were not elected after receiving 344 and 254 votes.
The $13,444,859 Hammondsport district budget was approved by voters 215 to 35. The budget contains a tax levy increase of 1.61 percent. The bus purchase proposition allowing the district to spend $226,834.62 on one 70-passenger bus and one 30-passenger bus passed 83 votes to 57.
Challenger Lynda Lowin was elected to the school board over incumbent Francis Curran 189 votes to 75.
with 305 and 253 votes respectively. Kristina Hansen and James Somerville were not elected after receiving 146 and 122 votes respectively.
Odessa-Montour voters supported their $15,522,182 budget with 198 yes votes and 27 no. The budget will lower the overall tax levy by 1 percent. Voters also approved a proposition to increase the tax levy for the Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library by $3,455 and increase the tax levy for the Montour Falls Memorial Library by $3,700 with 156 votes in favor and 67 votes against. Residents also cast 180 yes votes to 38 no votes to establish a capital reserve fund totaling $2 million to purchase school buses, while voting 180 to 39 to purchase of two 65-passenger school buses for $270,000. The proposition to perform repair work at the track, bus garage roof and auditorium for $1.7 million from the district's existing capital reserve fund also passed 187 to 36.
Jeff Parmenter will join incumbents Robert Halpin and Karen Rock on the board of education after receiving 190 votes. Halpin was reelected with 170 votes while Rock secured her seat with 144 votes. Challengers Todd Mertens and Debora Fellwock failed to acquire an available seat with 134 and 61 votes respectively.