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Bedford Central Voters Approve School Budget, Elect Sheerin

BEDFORD, N.Y. -- Voters in the Bedford Central School District approved the proposed 2015-16 budget on Tuesday by a roughly 2-1 margin.

Brian Sheerin

Brian Sheerin

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie
Colette Dow

Colette Dow

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie
Justine Marous

Justine Marous

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie

Results from the district show that the budget passed by 1,291 votes to 635. Total spending for the budget is close to $127.2 million, or a 0.55-percent increase. The tax levy, which represents overall property tax revenue to be collected for the budget, will rise to roughly $113.8 million, an increase of 0.62 percent.

The levy amount comes well under the state-mandated tax levy cap, allowed for the district to increase the levy by up to 1.71 percent.

The projected tax rates, which measure how much property taxpayers will owe per $1,000 of assessed property value, vary among the district's five component towns. Mount Kisco taxpayers are facing a hike of 6.89 percent, while Bedford taxpayers are facing an increase of 2.03 percent. Pound Ridge taxpayers face a tax-rate cut of 6.58 percent. Taxpayers in New Castle and North Castle face tax-rate cuts of 5.98 percent and 7.94 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, voters elected Brian Sheerin, a Bedford Corners resident, to fill the school board seat currently held by Susan Wollin. Sheerin, who received 1,016 votes, defeated Justine Marous, a Pound Ridge resident who got 928 votes.

Colette Dow, also a Pound Ridge resident, ran unopposed for a board seat currently held by Eric Karle. Dow, who won with 1,302 votes. Dow will be the first Pound Ridge resident on the school board since 2013. The lack of Pound Ridge residents on the school board was a point of contention locally.

Sheerin and Dow are not newcomers for school board elections; they each ran unsuccessfully for seats last May.

The district also released results by elementary school attendance zones, which served as polling places. Results show that Marous carried the polling places at Mount Kisco Elementary School (MKES), Bedford Hills Elementary School (BHES) and West Patent Elementary School (WPES). Sheerin, however, carried the polling places at Bedford Village Elementary School (BVES) and Pound Ridge Elementary School (PRES).

Sheerin, who lives in the MKES zone, lost his home polling place. Marous, who lives in the PRES zone, also lost her home polling place.

The budget passed at all five polling places.

Below are the numbers for the budget and board races by polling place:

 

 

Budget:

MKES: 320 Yes, 111 No

BHES: 180 Yes, 88 No

PRES: 250 Yes, 210 No

WPES: 243 Yes, 59 No

BVES: 298 Yes, 167 No 

 

 

Board Seat Currently Held By Wollin (Contested):

MKES: 207 for Sheerin, 245 for Marous

BHES: 130 for Sheerin, 144 for Marous

PRES: 309 for Sheerin, 170 for Marous

WPES: 128 for Sheerin, 145 for Marous

BVES: 242 for Sheerin, 224 for Marous

 

 

Board Seat Currently Held By Karle (Uncontested):

MKES: 286 for Dow

BHES: 182 for Dow

PRES: 380 for Dow

WPES: 169 for Dow

BVES: 285 for Dow

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