OSWEGO COUNTY – School boards throughout the county will vote on budgets, board members, and propositions Tuesday, May 17. Here are the basics voters need to know as reported by five districts that responded to our request for information.
With two members (President Heather DelConte and Lynda Sereno) retiring from the Oswego City School District board at the end of their three-year terms this June 30, two candidates have stepped up to run for those vacancies.
David M. Crisafulli, former Director of Facilities for the district, and former Executive Director of Secondary Education and Personnel Heidi Sweeney are those candidates. Neither has previously served on the board.
Three propositions will also appear on the Oswego ballot. The first is on the 2022 budget: “Shall the Board of Education adopt a budget for the Oswego City School District in the amount of $97,160,976.00 for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2022?”
The second proposition concerns the ever-present vote on school buses: “Shall the bond resolution adopted by the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Oswego (the “School District”) on March 1, 2022, which authorizes (a) the purchase of nine 64-passenger diesel C2 buses and one (1) 37-passenger/3 wheelchair diesel C2 bus, at a total combined maximum estimated cost not to exceed $1,303,000; (b) the issuance of up to $1,303,000 serial bonds of the School District to pay the cost thereof; (c) the pledge of School District’s faith and credit for payment of bond anticipation notes and such bonds; and (d) the levy of taxes on the taxable real property in the School District to be collected in annual installments to pay debt service on such obligations, be approved?”
And the third proposition concerns authorization of the Oswego Public Library’s board to tax the school district’s taxpayers in the amount listed on the ballot: “Shall the Oswego SD Public Library Board of Trustees be authorized to levy and collect an annual tax, separate and apart from the annual school district budget, in the amount of $1,388,439 (an increase of $27,224) for the continuing support and maintenance of the Oswego SD Public Library, with this appropriated amount to be the annual appropriation until thereafter modified by a future vote by the taxpayers of the Oswego City School District?”
Voters will also elect one library trustee to a five-year term.
Voting will take place on May 17 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the following polling sites:
District No. 1 – Scriba Fire Station for Ward 10 – (Town of Scriba and Volney – Oswego City School District residents only).
District No. 2 – Anthony Crisafulli (Fort Ontario) Rink for Ward 2, Ward 4 and Ward 6.
District No. 3 – Elim Grace Church for Ward 1, Ward 3, Ward 5, and Ward 7.
District No. 4 – Oswego Town Hall for Ward 8 (Town of Minett0) and Ward 9 (Town Of Oswego and Sterling), Oswego City School District residents only.
In the Pulaski Academy & Central School district, two board seats are up for election. Both are presently held by incumbents, and both Joe McGrath and Darcy McCarty are seeking re-election to another three-year term.
The vote will include the 2022-23 budget, a proposition to withdraw $167,000 from the bus purchase capital reserve, and a proposition to create a new five-year bus purchase capital reserve in the amount of $500,000.
The proposed 2022-23 school budget totals $28,919,000, which is a 3.5% ($990,000) increase over last year. If approved, this budget would result in a tax levy increase of 2% or $142,341.
Voting will take place on Tuesday, May 17th from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Ringgold Fire Hall.
Residents of the Central Square School District will vote on four school board seats and four propositions.
One member of the present board left in the middle of the year. Kenneth Sherman filled in for the remainder of the year and therefore, this year’s election will include a one-year term to fulfill the vacancy that was created previously. The other three seats up for election are all full three-year terms.
Randy Hoyt, Kenneth Sherman and Timothy McCarthy are all incumbents and are all running for re-election. Millard “Mudd” Murphy is the fourth candidate running.
The four propositions being put before the voters are: the $88,546,056 budget; $1,164,491 for transportation; the proposed $25 million capital project, $21.8 million of which will be provided as state aid, leaving the district’s share at $3.2 million to be financed over 15 years and resulting in no tax increase to the community; and $60,000 for the Library, up $5,000.
The vote will be held May 17 from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Central Square American Legion and Constantia VFW.
In the Phoenix Central School District, three board seats are up for election. Three candidates are running, two of whom, James Brooker and Robert Southworth, are incumbents. Keith Renfrew is the third candidate. He has not previously served on the board. All are running for three-year terms.
Four propositions are on the Phoenix ballot: the budget, transportation, the project reserve fund, and the library levy.
Phoenix School District taxpayers will be responsible for $17.6 million of a $50.36 million 2022 budget, the remainder being primarily supplied by state aid. The resulting tax levy is up $174,000 over last year, approximately a 1% increase.
Voters will consider the purchase of four school buses at a cost of not more than $512,588. State aid will pick up 90% of that cost.
The Phoenix Public Library is looking for the voters’ approval on a $75,917 request for additional funding after 11 years with no increase. The increase will cost taxpayers an estimated $10.91 more on a $100,000 home.
The propositions will appear on the ballot as follows:
Proposition -1 – Budget Adoption
“Be it resolved that the proposed budget of expenditures of the Phoenix Central School District for the school year 2022-2023 in the amount of $50,361,271 and for the purposes shown in the statement of estimated expenditures adopted by the Board of Education, be and the same hereby is approved and the amount thereof, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be raised by a levy of a tax upon the taxable property of the school district, after first deducting the monies available from State Aid and other sources as provided by law.”
Proposition -2 – Purchase of Buses
“Shall the Board of Education of the Phoenix Central School District be authorized to purchase and finance four 66-passenger school buses at an estimated cost not to exceed $512,588, all to include furnishings, fixtures and equipment required for such purposes and all other necessary costs incidental thereto and to expend a total sum not to exceed $512,588 which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and levy a tax which is hereby voted for the foregoing in the amount of $512,588 which shall be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education and in anticipation of the collection of such tax, bonds and notes of the District are hereby authorized to be issued at one time, or from time to time, in the principal amount not to exceed $512,588, and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on said obligations when due.”
Proposition -3 – Project Reserve Fund -2
“Shall the Board of Education establish a Project Reserve Fund for capital improvements to the District’s buildings and facilities from time to time approved by the District voters with a term of 10 years and a maximum amount of $7,000,000, to be funded from (a) a transfer of the balance on deposit in the District’s current capital project reserve fund -1, which has legally ended and will be closed; (b) fund balances as the Board of Education may designate from any general fund balance remaining at the end of each fiscal year; (c) funds from other sources including revenues that are not required by law to be paid into any other fund or account and (d) such amounts as may be authorized by the District’s voters from time to time.”
Proposition -4 – Library Levy
Resolved, that pursuant to Education Law, Section 259, the Board of Education of the Phoenix Central School District is authorized to levy and collect an annual tax, year after year, separate and apart from the annual school budget, in the amount of $75,917 (in addition to the current annual appropriation of $75,917 for a total of $151,834 annually), which shall be paid to the Phoenix Public Library for the support and maintenance of the library, with this appropriated amount to be the annual appropriation until thereafter modified by a future vote of the electors of the Phoenix Central School District.
Voting will take place May 17 from noon-9 p.m. at EJD Middle School.
And in the Hannibal Central School District, although two board seats are up for election, there will be only one candidate on the ballot. Jessica Wakefield was the only person to file for the opening. Write-in ballots will determine at least one of the new board members.
Wakefield has not previously served on the board. Members serve for three years.
The 2022 Hannibal School District proposed budget is $38,310,500 representing a 1.9% tax levy increase. It is the first of the following three propositions that will appear on the ballot:
“Proposition 1 – Shall the Board of Education authorize the proposition of voters’ approval on May 17, 2022, for expending the sum of $38,310,500 for the 2022-2023 school year for school purposes and levy the necessary tax thereof?
“Proposition 2 – Shall the Board of Education purchase and, at the option of the board, finance three school buses, estimated cost not to exceed $350,000, including necessary furnishings, fixtures and equipment and all other necessary costs incidental thereto and to expend a total sum not to exceed $350,000 which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and levy a tax which is hereby voted for the foregoing in the amount of $350,000, which shall be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education and in anticipation of the collection of such tax, bonds, notes or installment purchase contracts are hereby authorized to be issued or executed at one time, or from time to time, in the principal amount not to exceed $350,000 and a tax is hereby voted to pay the interest on said obligations when due?
“Proposition 3 – To elect a total of two members to the Board of Education for three-year terms commencing July 1, 2022 and expiring on June 30, 2025.
One resident (Jessica Wakefield) has submitted a petition for one of the two open seats.
Voters may vote for up to two candidates; either Mrs. Wakefield, per the ballot option, and a write-in candidate, or by writing in up to two other candidates.”
Voting will take place from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on May 17 at the Hannibal Central School’s District Office in the Board Room. Park in the district office parking lot and follow the signage on the entry door for voting location.
