School Board Sends Budget Back To The Voters

by Steve Yablonski | May 30, 2008 12:13 am

OSWEGO, NY – The school district’s 2008-09 budget is in the hands of the voters – again.

After meeting for more than two hours on Thursday and reinstating several of the cuts contained in the original spending plan, the board voted 4-2 to revote the  budget to the public.

Voting will be conducted on June 17 from noon to 9 p.m. at the same locations as the May 20 vote.

The new proposed $67,126,271 budget saves several positions, but would mean a 5.72 percent tax rate increase for the public.

Last week, voters said no to a budget proposal that had a 3.81 percent increase.

Board members Dave White, Dan Hoefer, Sean Madden, and Jim Tschudy voted yes.

Board president Maggie Tiballi and board member Fred Maxon cast the no votes.

Board vice president Sally Nettles was absent.

The vote was 6-0 for an amended budget.

The proposed budget would reinstate two elementary art teachers, two elementary music teachers, one phys ed teacher, one librarian, one technology teacher and three part-time hall monitors.

If the voters didn’t go for a 3.81 percent tax rate increase, they likely wouldn’t favor a 5.72 percent tax rate increase, White noted.

“I can’t see raising taxes as much as we’ve discussed tonight,” Maxon agreed.

Tiballi pointed out it was a 50/50 proposition.

Either the people who wanted lower taxes (more cuts) or those who were in favor of restoring the items that were cut from the budget would be angry with the board.

“It’s back in the voters’ hands,” she said.

[poll=14]

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/fulton/school-board-sends-budget-back-to-the-voters/

---