Budgets Pass, Even Controversial Ones

Voters from Bridgehampton to Montauk reacted favorably on Tuesday to their school districts’ proposed 2016-17 spending plans, easily passing all eight budgets, including two that pierced the state-imposed cap on tax levy increases.

The Bridgehampton and Amagansett School Districts achieved the supermajority of voter approval they both needed to exceed the state tax levy cap, with Bridgehampton’s $13.78 million budget surpassing 67 percent voter approval and Amagansett’s $10.47 million budget approved by 63 percent of voters.

This was the second time in three years that Bridgehampton attempted to override the tax cap; it needed two tries to pass the 2014-15 school budget, but passed it on the first try this time around. The result of the 161-to-78 vote, school officials say, is the preservation of current programs, staffing, and services at the Bridgehampton School. Those include the after-school ASPIRE program, field trips, career and technical education programs, driver’s education, and more, which had been identified as potential cuts while the budget was being developed, but were considered too critical to spare.

It was not a sure bet, though, as taxpayers like Karl Nitzl, a four-year resident of Bridgehampton, said the district “needs to try harder. I don’t think there’s any reason to exceed the cap.”

The school also saw many alumni return to vote in favor of the budget. Among them were Hayley Lund, the 2015 valedictorian, who said, “We did a lot of really cool stuff with the school, and with a little more budget I think they can keep doing all these great things and move on to even better things, too.”

Thanking the community, Lois Favre, Bridgehampton’s superintendent, said, “We’re looking forward to doing good things here.”

Running unopposed for two seats on the Bridgehampton School Board, Jennifer Vinski and Michael Gomberg received 215 and 189 votes, respectively. The 239 total ballots cast for the budget on Tuesday represented a 54 percent increase over last year’s turnout of 155 voters. There are 1,203 registered voters in the school district.

In Amagansett, where the official budget tally was 121 to 70, school officials also expected to maintain all current programs and services next year. “We’re really delighted and very thankful to the community for supporting the budget,” said Eleanor Tritt, the district’s superintendent.

Tuesday’s vote in Amagansett brought out 191 voters, surpassing last year’s turnout of 178. Kristen V. Peterson and Hank Muchnic, who were running unopposed for two open school board seats, received 151 and 139 votes, respectively. There were six write-in votes cast, including for Mary Lownes, a former member of the school board, Kieran and Ted Cruz, also received one write-in vote each. The Amagansett Library budget, a $995,223 proposal, passed by 165 to 28.

The East Hampton School District’s $66.72 million budget proposal, which school officials say kept expenses mostly level and stayed at the tax cap, was approved on Tuesday by a vote of 440 to 86. Turnout was 526, higher than last year’s 513 votes. For the three open seats on the East Hampton School Board, the incumbents James Foster, Wendy Geehreng, and Richard C. Wilson emerged the winners. Mr. Foster received 416 votes, Ms. Geehreng 397 votes, and Mr. Wilson took in 362 votes, while Alison Anderson received 224.

In Springs, a $27.63 million budget proposal, which officials had described as cut “to the bone,” passed 314 to 127. Also approved, 289 to 147, was a separate proposition to enter a three-year financing agreement for the purchase of a 66-passenger school bus for about $121,000. In the contested school board race, for which there were three candidates and two available seats, David Conlon and Amy Rivera emerged the winners, knocking Adam Wilson out of office, with 335 and 333 votes respectively. Mr. Wilson took in 131 votes.

In Montauk, where school officials had proposed an $18.98 million budget that showed a slight tax levy decrease from the current year’s figure, voters approved the budget 184 to 34. Patti Leber, an incumbent school board candidate, was re-elected after running unopposed to retain her seat, but in the contested race for the seat that will become available in July after Jason Biondo’s resignation becomes effective, Tom Flight defeated Cynthia Ibrahim, 163 to 53.

The Wainscott and Sagaponack School Districts also proposed tax levy decreases. Wainscott easily won approval for its 2016-17 school budget of just over $3 million, with a 49-0 vote.

Its two propositions, a tuition contract with Sag Harbor Elementary and another with Pierson Middle-High School, which would give Wainscott families the choice of attending Sag Harbor or East Hampton schools after finishing the third grade at Wainscott, passed with 48 votes and 49 votes, respectively. This is the district’s fifth consecutive budget in which spending decreased and the fourth in which the tax levy dropped. William Babinski Jr., the lone candidate for one seat on the school board, was re-elected with 49 votes.

Sagaponack voters passed the school’s $1.77 million budget proposal with 16 votes. No one voted against it, and it looks as though a new playground is on the way at the Sagaponack School, as the budget includes $37,000 for new playground equipment to supplement community donations received for that purpose. Cathy Hatgistavrou, the only candidate running for one seat on the school board, was re-elected with all 16 votes.

In Sag Harbor, the budget passed and voters approved a bond referendum for the purchase of the former Stella Maris Regional School. The results are covered separately in this issue.