052104 Voters say `yes'

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The Public Schools of Westchester County New York

052104 Voters say `yes'

BY MARY LEGRAND

In an atmosphere straight out of an old antacid commercial, Bedford Central Board of Education members and district administrators found out how to spell relief Tuesday night - and it came not in the form of a pack of Rolaids but in the overwhelming passage of the district's 2004-05 budget.

Voters in all five elementary attendance areas approved the $87.6 million budget proposal, a $5.7 million, or 6.91 percent, increase over 200304. The scene at the middle school was one of excitement, some might say jubilation. The final tally showed 1,585 residents voting for the budget, with 865 against. For Proposition 2, the district's capital plan,1,685 residents voted "yes," with 704 opposed.

"Four or five years ago people in Bedford [Central] were voting against the budget,", said trustee Mark Slivka. "Now they're voting overwhelmingly for it."

Earlier in the process there had been concern surrounding the passage of the budget, which appeared on Tuesday's ballot as Proposition 1. Budget proponents feared that the large tax increase that will hit Mount Kisco property owners would hurt at the polls, but worries proved unfounded as those in Mount Kisco voted their approval. Turnout was relatively low there, however.

Proposition 2, which was also approved in all five attendance areas, allows the district to spend $750,000 of existing funds for capital projects at all seven schools as well as for furniture and equipment for Mount Kisco and Pound Ridge elementary schools. Proposition 2 called for no new taxes.

Board members and district administrators waited anxiously Tuesday from the meeting's 8 p.m. beginning until the polls closed at 9 p.m. When trustee Mel Comberiati's cell phone started ringing repeatedly shortly after that, he and fellow trustee Brad Sacks went into a hallway outside Fox Lane Middle School's Little Theatre to take the calls. Each time they emerged, they were smiling and giving thumbs-up salutes.

Voters also approved the election of three uncontested school board candidates: Donna Marino for the seat currently held by the board's president, Elin Sullivan, who chose not to run; Fran LoMonaco Loucas for the seat currently held by Dr. Comberiati, who also is retiring; and Brad Sacks, an incumbent.

On Wednesday afternoon, district clerk Carole LaColla confirmed the results.

With a total of 1,590 votes districtwide, Mr. Sacks received 258 votes in Bedford Hills, 411 votes in Bedford Village, 250 votes in Mount Kisco, 422 votes in Pound Ridge, and 249 votes in West Patent.

Mr. Slivka credited what he called the "fiscal responsibility" of the current board, and said that residents "trust the board to some extent, whereas before there was mistrust."

Mr. Slivka also credited the amount of information available to the public about the budget process as partly responsible for the vote. And, he added, the vote "shows that most of the population believes that we are handling the financial situation in the correct manner."

This is the fourth year in a row that the Bedford Central budget has been approved in all five attendance areas, leading some board members to speculate that a change in population may be at least partly responsible. "There's been a turnover, if you assume that the school-age population parents vote for the budget," Mr. Slivka said. He cited Pound Ridge Elementary School as an example, saying that in 1997 there were 280 children in attendance there and now there are 420.

"There have to be a lot of seniors who left," Mr..Slivka said. "To some extent that has to be part of it; how much, that's hard to say."

Dr. Comberiati had another take. "The new population that comes in, they're told what their taxes are, and they're not surprised by seeing that number they're buying into," he said. "If you've been here a while and you watch your taxes change, then it sort of grows on you."

Bruce Dennis, the departing schools superintendent, praised local residents. "I really think that the vote is a reflection of the community's statement that they recognize [school board members] as asking hard questions,-being aware of the sense of the balance between the educational needs of children and the fiscal responsibility to a community 70 percent of whom have no children in public schools. You can't win a budget with this level of margin unless the community trusts the men and women on the board of education." Dr. Dennis, who leaves Bedford Central this summer after 12 years in the position, added that he was gratified "to work in a community that is this supportive, and I think the board worked extremely hard to put together a tight budget that is extremely responsible."

There was no one who spoke in opposition to the budget vote at Tuesday's meeting.

The outgoing school board president, Elfin Sullivan, was absent for the early part of the meeting but arrived in time to read the results of the vote, which were unanimously approved by the board.

"On behalf of the school board, we wish to express our gratitude to everyone in the community who did come out to vote today," she said afterward, "and I can state that we are gratified with the results. Again, thank you very much to everyone, to the residents of all five attendance areas.

As a result of Tuesday's vote, school taxes will increase by 1.65 percent in Bedford, 23.33 percent in Mount Kisco and 2.65 percent in Pound Ridge.

In terms of dollars, Bedford residents will be taxed at a rate of $93.74 per $1,000 of assessed valuation; Mount Kisco, $46.54; New Castle, $55.02; North Castle, $398.65; and Pound Ridge, $69.36.

Dr. Dennis said the budget increase was generated in part by the demands put on the staff and buildings by higher enrollment in the district. High school and middle school enrollment is up 8.35 percent and 4.33 percent, respectively. The proposed budget includes hiring seven full-time teachers in an effort to keep class size at an acceptable level.

The peculiarity in the spike for Mount Kisco taxpayers was due to the tax equalization rate, which is the state's measure of a municipality's level of assessment achieved by dividing the town's assessed value by the town's market value.

Although Mount Kisco residents' tax rate increase is higher than other towns this year, the 10-year average rate increase demonstrates parity among the different areas. Bedford averaged a 4.9 percent tax increase, Mount Kisco 5.37 percent, Pound Ridge 4.83 percent, and New Castle and North Castle 6.67 percent and 5.57 percent, respectively. Capital projects planned, under Proposition 2 include the installation of turf on the main stadium field, boys' baseball field, and girls' softball field at Fox Lane High School, with a projected cost of $800,000. Proponents of the turf field project received donations of $120,000, offsetting some the cost, and the district received $44,000 in New York State grants designated for other capital projects that supplements the unspent reserve.