Voters will consider school budgets

TRI-COUNTY AREA--Area school districts will hold their annual budget and school board votes Tuesday, May 19. Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. election day.
In Penn Yan, their 2015-16 budget amounts to $33,607,526 and contains a 1.42 tax levy increase, which is below the tax cap. Also on the ballot is a proposition to purchase two 65-passenger school buses along with two seven-passenger Dodge Grand Caravan vehicles at a total estimated cost of $290,000.
In the race for school board, there are five candidates running for three available seats. Incumbents Loni Terpolilli and Elizabeth Warren are running for reelection and will be challenged by Renee Bloom, Pamela Whitford and Bonnie Barkley. Current school board member Ryan Hallings will not be running for reelection. The election will take place in the Penn Yan Academy gymnasium. (For a related story, see page 3).
In Dundee, the 2015-16 school budget totals $17,325,343 with a 3.9 percent tax levy increase. The budget will require 60 percent of voter approval to pass due to the levy exceeding the state's allowable tax cap. There will also be another proposition on the ballot to expend no more than $210,000 from the 2011 bus purchase reserve fund for the purchase of additional vehicles.
There are also three candidates running for two open seats on the school board. The candidates include Nickolas Sorce, Andrew Simmons and Wendy Gibson. The seats belong to Matthew Camacho and John Frederick, but neither is running for reelection. Residents can vote in the public meeting room.
In Hammondsport, the 2015-16 school budget amounts to $13,444,859, which contains a tax levy increase of 1.61 percent, which is within the tax cap. There will also be a bus purchase proposition on the ballot, which will allow the district to spend $226,834.62 on one 70-passenger bus and one 30-passenger bus.
There are two candidates running for one seat on the school board. Incumbent Francis Curran will be challenged by Lynda Lowin for the lone position. Residents can vote in the Main Street school lobby.
In Watkins Glen, the 2015-16 budget totals $25,557,076 with a tax levy increase of 1.9 percent.
In the school board election, there are four candidates running for two seats. The candidates include James Somerville, Kristina Hansen, Barbara Schimizzi and Kelly McCarthy. The seats are currently held by board President Michael Myers and Vice President Kelly McCarthy. The Watkins Glen voting location will be at the high school board of education room, with polls open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In Odessa-Montour, the 2015-16 school budget totals $15,522,182, which contains a 1 percent reduction in the overall tax levy. Also on the ballot is 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. There will also be another proposition to establish a capital reserve fund totaling $2 million for the purpose of purchasing school buses. A fourth proposition will be for the purchase of two 65-passenger school buses at a cost not to exceed $270,000. The fifth proposition will be for the district to undertake certain repair projects including replacing the track at the junior/senior high school, replacing the bus garage roof, and performing auditorium upgrades at the junior/senior high at a total cost not to exceed $1.7 million from the district's existing capital reserve fund.
There are three seats open for election with five total candidates on the school board. Incumbents Robert Halpin and Karen Rock will be running against challengers Debora Fellwock, Todd Mertens and Jeff Parmenter. Damita Chamberlain will not be running for reelection (For a related story, see page 3). Odessa-Montour residents will vote at Hanlon elementary school room 12.