Voters in the Pittsford Central School District shot down an attempt to exceed the state’s property tax cap in Tuesday’s voting, partly in order to fund full-day kindergarten. A 60 percent supermajority was needed to override New York’s two percent property growth cap. They missed it by a little less than 500 votes: 3,687 yes to 3,207 no.
Superintendent Michael Pero says the district must now decide whether it will go with a contingency budget, requiring some $6 million in cuts. It could also try again with the same budget, or redraw the budget so it fits under the tax cap and then try again. If there is another vote, it will be June 20th.
Greece Central voters approved their $225,091,000 budget, which stays under the tax cap with a rate increase of 1.74 percent. The vote was 1,740 yes to 799 no.
All three propositions on the ballot were approved by substantial margins, including spending up to $2.3 million to replace 25 school buses and re-establishing a bus purchasing capital fund.
But The school district says the vote to fill four seats on the Greece School Board is too close to call. They hope to declare the winners on Wednesday after the vote is verified.
All other Rochester suburban school budgets were approved, some by large margins.