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Bedford School Budget Passes; Incumbent Board Members Win Seats

BEDFORD, N.Y. -- Voters approved the Bedford Central School District's 2014-15 budget by a large margin.

Andrew Bracco, second from left, Eric Karle, center, and Edward Reder, right, won Bedford school board seats. The candidates are pictured at a recent forum.

Andrew Bracco, second from left, Eric Karle, center, and Edward Reder, right, won Bedford school board seats. The candidates are pictured at a recent forum.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie

District results show that the budget passed with 1,350 votes in favor to 763 votes against. At $126.5 million, the budget includes a spending increase of 1.15 percent. The tax levy, which is the total amount of the budget's tax revenue, will increase by 1.41 percent. The budget also includes a total of 18.8 job cuts.

The projected tax rates, which form the basis of what taxpayers owe, are expected to vary among the district's five towns. Bedford is set to get a decrease of 2.99 percent, while Mount Kisco is expected to get an increase of 5.75 percent. Pound Ridge, New Castle and North Castle are expected to get respective percentage increases of 4.31, 8.86 and 7.84. The district attributes the gap to equalization rate and property value changes.

Meanwhile, all incumbent school board members will remain. Mount Kisco resident Andrew Bracco was re-elected to his seat with 1,092 votes to 982 for his challenger, Pound Ridge's Colette Dow.

The lack of anyone from Pound Ridge on the board was an issue connected to Dow's campaign. The board will continue to have four Mount Kisco residents and three Bedford residents.

Vice President Eric Karle and board member Edward Reder, meanwhile, swapped seats, with Reder winning a full term and Karle filling an unexpired term. Karle, a Mount Kisco resident, ran unopposed and received 1,203 votes.

Reder, who also lives in Mount Kisco, won with 1,146 votes, defeating opponent and Bedford Corners resident Brian Sheerin, who got 861 votes. Reder joined the school board last September when he was appointed to fill a seat vacated by Lee Goldstein, Daily Voice previously reported.

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