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Voter turnout low, budgets approved
 | | WHERE IS EVERYONE?...Poll workers at John F. Kennedy High School wait for voters to turn the handle Tuesday evening for the Cheektowaga-Sloan School District budget vote. This year's voter turnout in Cheektowaga was the lowest in at least 10 years. (Times photo) |
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Hikes in financial aid to local school districts from the New York State Legislature appeared to resonate strongly with voters who overwhelmingly approved local school budgets Tuesday.
Voter turnout approached at least a ten-year low across Cheektowaga, with fewer than 3,400 ballots cast in the Central, Cheektowaga-Sloan, Cleveland Hill, Depew and Maryvale districts.
Unofficial results tallied by the Times indicate Tuesday's turnout is the lowest in the last 10 years, failing to reach last year's low of 4,359. See page 4 for voter turnouts in the five districts since 1998.
With hundreds of thousands of dollars- and in some cases, more than one million dollars- of additional income from the state given to each district, most school boards proposed no change to their local tax rates.
Only Maryvale presented a tax decrease of 86 cents per $1,000 of valuation. Tax rates at Cheektowaga Central and West Seneca will rise 74 cents and 55 cents, respectively.
Most school districts across New York State fared well with their budgets. Budgets for all of Erie County's school districts were approved.
The following is a recap of local results.
Cheektowaga-Sloan
For the seventh straight year, residents approved the district budget.
Proposition 1 on the ballot, the $28,970,600 budget- which contained a 9.69 percent spending increase, but no hike in tax rate from last year's budget- received 608 "yes" votes and 208 "no" tallies, a 74 percent approval rate.
Proposition 2, which was the renewal every two years of an ex-officio, non-voting student on the school board, was passed by a 568-200 margin.
Incumbent board trustee Gary H. Sieczkarek was re-elected while running unopposed, receiving 506 votes. Sieczkarek will serve his second consecutive five-year term.
Superintendent James P. Mazgajewski said by voting favorably, residents showed their interest in bolstering school activities, such as special education and art programs.
"The community in general has been more accepting lately than it had been," Mazgajewski told the Times. "They're seeing the results of how their dollars are spent. With (this budget), there's more help in areas of need...We're adding services that we need to address."
Only 813 of roughly 7,000 registered district voters took their turn at the polls Tuesday, an 11-percent turnout rate.
Cleveland Hill
The budget passed, 243-93, a margin of nearly two-to-one, as only 336 residents turned out to help decide the $26.54 million budget.
School Board President Robert Polino said he was disappointed with the small turnout, noting that residents couldn't use the weather as an excuse. He guessed that many residents figured that the zero percent tax hike would be approved.
Despite his disappointment with the public's apathy toward the bud get, Polino was happy with the result.
"Any time you get a positive vote you're pleased," Polino said. "This budget allows us to do things we want to do for the kids."
Polino and Paul Kunkel, both running unopposed, were re-elected to the board.
Lancaster
The $76.37 million budget and three propositions all passed by comfortable margins.
Voters approved the budget by a more than two-to-one ratio, 1,584 to 708.
The district will spend $1.28 million to purchase 13 large school buses and one small wheelchair bus after Proposition 2 was approved, 1,503 to 763.
Proposition 3, which asked voters to decide if the district should spend $11 million for a capital improvement project was given the green light, 1,495 to 795. The project encompasses maintenance items.
Voters also gave the OK to a fourth proposition, which establishes a school bus reserve fund of up to $6 million. The proposition passed, 1,483 to 785.
Incumbent Kenneth Graber retained his position on the board of education, collecting 1,649 votes. He will be joined on the board by newcomer Joseph Casimino, who garnered 1,508 votes. The two easily defeated Leonard Goodman and Robert Phibbs, who received 598 and 432 votes, respectively.
Maryvale
Turnout was 414, and 12 of those persons didn't vote for or against the budget, which passed by a 340-62 count.
Margaret Bourdette easily won reelection to the Board of Education, defeating challenger Bob Stalker. Bourdette garnered 280 votes to Stalker's 95. Steve Cahoon, appointed to the board last fall, ran unopposed for the remaining two years on his board term and received 214 votes.
Bourdette called her victory "very affirming," and said that it reflects the board's performance.
Bourdette, who was one of the first students to occupy Maryvale High School, said she's also looking forward to serving on the board while a major renovation of the building takes place.
"I sat in those auditorium seats practically when they went in," Bourdette recalled, adding the high school swimming pool to her recollection. "I can't wait for the new ones. It's going to be exciting to see those things."
Supervisor Gary L. Brader said he was pleased to see the public retain Bourdette and Cahoon, stating the two have worked long hours on the district's capital improvement project.
"We're pleased that people came out and got involved," Brader said. "This gives us everything we need to go on next year and do what we need for our kids."
West Seneca
The district's $98.3 million budget was approved by 65 percent of the voters, 1,712 to 927.
Incumbent school board member Janice E. Dalbo lost her re-election bid, as Daniel Nagy (1,250) and Carol Jarczyk (1,243) were elected. Dalbo placed third, with 1,175 votes and Frank Calieri earned 1,171 votes.
Residents supported Proposition 2, approving the purchase of eight school buses, 1,937 to 671. Proposition 3, a capital improvement project, also passed, 1,757 to 811.
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