TURNER — The SAD 52 budget referendum was defeated by a narrow margin Tuesday in light voting.

With the vote total 172-182, the budget lost by less than 3 percent.

Turner had 93 yes votes and 33 no votes, favoring the proposed budget by a margin of nearly 3 to 1. Leeds had 40 yes votes and 68 no votes, defeating the measure by about 13 percent. Greene overwhelmingly voted against the budget. With 39 yes and 81 no, Greene voters were more than 2-to-1 against it.

Superintendent Henry Aliberti expressed surprise at the result. He said that at the district budget meeting, a town-meeting-style gathering where voters set the actual amounts for various budget accounts, the voters had accepted the budget proposed by the board of directors.

That budget for $23,197,710 represented a 1.3 percent, or $297,228, increase over the 2011-12 budget. Aliberti said the directors had worked diligently to keep the budget down. It cut 14 positions, instructional material and maintenance projects.

The budget process now begins over.

“We continue to seek community input in the budget process,” Aliberti said. He indicated that the board will decide whether to make significant changes in the new budget or to propose the same budget essentially unchanged.

Public budget workshops will be held in the Greene Central School on May 17 and the Leeds Central School on May 23, both meetings are at 6:30 p.m. The school board will finalize the new proposed budget at its May 24 meeting.

The district budget meeting, where citizens can adjust the budget, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at Leavitt Area High School.

The budget validation referendum will be Tuesday, June 12, at local polling places.

Copy the Story Link