The Manhasset School District received the support of the community in Monday’s school budget vote, just not all the support it needed.
The proposed $89 million school budget, which included a 5.98 percent tax levy increase despite only a 2.53 percent increase in spending, was overturned Tuesday, earning just 53.2 percent of the vote and failing to reach the required 60 percent supermajority consensus. The final tally was 2,053 in favor and 1,797 against.
Because the district’s tax levy pierced the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap, the budget had to earn a supermajority vote to pass.
“We’re all very disappointed by the outcome of last night’s vote,” Manhasset Superintendent of Schools Charles Cardillo said. “We had anticipated that there would be support for the supermajority vote from our community because of years of excellence that had been evidenced in the academics, the arts, the athletics and after-school activities. At the same time, the board of education and administration had demonstrated great fiscal responsibility beginning in 2009 and 2010 when it began a self-imposed tax levy cap.”
Cardillo said the board of education will reassess the budget in advance of a second vote June 18, beginning with the board’s meeting Thursday night.
Laurie Pandelakis, a representative of the budget’s primary opposition group, the Manhasset Proponents for School Accountability, said the grassroots organization was pleased with the election’s result, as it now forces the district to continue its efforts to decrease the tax levy.
“[The overturning of the budget] was the result that we were seeking and essentially what we want is that the district stay within the cap,” Pandelakis said. “We feel it’s fair, it’s reasonable, and it gives seniors a relief from the relentless tax increases.”
If the budget is not passed after the second vote, the district would have to cut approximately $4.5 million from its final adopted budget, a figure roughly $2.3 million less than the 2012-13 budget.
If the budget is voted down twice, board members have said they would condense classes and eliminate teachers throughout the district and eliminate all interscholastic athletic programs and other extracurricular programs.
“We believe that the 2 percent tax cap is the standard, and we expect that in fact the district comes within the cap,” Pandelakis said. “We’re hoping they do the right thing and honor the spirit of the tax cap law,” Pandelakis said.
Incumbent trustees Regina Rule and Craig Anderson were each re-elected to their positions on the board of education in uncontested contests with Rule receiving 2,650 votes and Anderson 2,598 votes.
Both candidates said they strongly supported Cardillo and the proposed 2013-14 budget. Efforts to reach both of them were unavailing.
The district first introduced a tax levy increase of 8.78 percent on March 4 as a result of its inability to allocate reserve funds, as it did in each of the last five years, to offset high levy increases.
Over time, the board of education reduced the tax levy increase to 6.47 percent April 4 and then down to 5.98 April 17, as a result of cutting four proposed teacher’s aide positions throughout the elementary and secondary levels, a kindergarten teacher at Munsey Park Elementary School and one second grade teacher at both Munsey Park and Shelter Rock elementary schools.
The board also reduced the tax levy $1.2 million as a result of a new state pension contribution stabilization program and allocated nearly $250,000 from its fund balance account and from its worker’s compensation and employee retirement reserve funds.
Still, those decreases were not enough to sway enough voters to reach the 60 percent supermajority.
“In the interest of a united community, this whole issue is dividing the community,” she said. “They have an obligation as leaders to unite the community and not pit one group against another,” Pandelakis said.
