Voters Approve 83% of Budgets in June Re-Vote

ALBANY, NY (06/19/2019) (readMedia)-- On June 18, 12 school districts presented their budgets a second time for approval by voters. Voters in each of these districts had failed to pass their 2019-20 budget proposals during the first budget vote in May. Voters passed all eight proposed budgets that complied with the tax cap, while two of the four budget proposals that required a 60 percent supermajority were defeated. These two districts will be required to use a contingent budget for 2019-20.

The school districts that held re-votes are listed in Figure 1.

School districts with defeated budgets at the May vote have the option of holding a second vote or going to a contingency budget. If they hold a second vote, they can propose the same budget or offer a new one. If the budget is defeated a second time, the district must adopt a contingency budget no levy increase and spending restrictions, such as not purchasing equipment and not spending to have community events. In addition, the administrative component of a contingent budget may not comprise a greater percentage of the contingency budget, exclusive of the capital component, than the lesser of: (1) the percentage which the administrative component had comprised in the prior year's budget; or (2) the percentage which the administrative component had comprised in the last defeated budget presented for the subsequent year.

Seven districts that held June re-votes had initially proposed budgets that required a 60 percent supermajority approval for an override of the tax cap, and only four proposed a second budget requiring supermajority approval. Voters in Clymer and Minisink Valley surpassed the 60 percent threshold. Override proposals in Dolgeville and Wyandanch were defeated.

Figure 2 shows the proposed tax levies in May and June as well as the levy limit for each district. Ten districts reduced their proposed levy increase, including all four of the districts seeking to override their tax caps.

After budget defeats in May and June, Dolgeville anFigure 2 shows the proposed tax levies in May and June as well as the levy limit for each district. Ten districts reduced their proposed levy increase, including all four of the districts seeking to override their tax caps. d Wyandanch will adopt contingency budgets for 2019-20.

Figure 3 shows the number of June re-votes, passed budgets, and contingency budgets since the implementation of the Tax Cap. Between May and June, voters passed 99.7 percent of school district budgets.

see attached charts and graphs