Budgets approved in Pat-Med, South Country and William Floyd

Voters across Long Island headed to the polls Tuesday, May 21 to elect school board candidates and vote on budgets and bond issues.

In the Patchogue-Medford School District, voters chose among six candidates for three seats for a three-year term.

They returned incumbents Marc Negrin (1,663 votes), Jennifer Krieger (1,614) and Bernadette Smith (1,326) to the board for a three-year term. The other candidates were Bryan Frascogna (1,168 votes), Lauren Kuban (1,163) and Howard Valan (751).

By a vote of 2,173 to 938, voters approved a $241.3 million budget with a 2.67 percent tax levy increase. They also approved by 2,133 to 994 an $85.3 million bond issue to install ventilators district wide and make other improvements including adding a turf field at the high school.

In the South Country School District, voters chose among three candidates for two spots for a three-year term.

They elected newcomer Deborah DeLillo and returned incumbent Chris Picini to the board. DeLillo received 864 votes followed by Picini with 643 votes. Cameron Trent finished third with 598 votes.

By a vote of 880 to 343, voters also approved a budget of just over $143 million with a 2.7 percent tax levy increase. They also approved by a vote of 885 to 329 a proposal to spend up to $937,000 to renovate the Bellport High School auditorium and approved expanding high school bus service to students living more than 1 mile from school by a vote of 909 to 298.

In the William Floyd School District, voters re-elected both Jennifer Ng Heitman with 875 votes and Kevin Meyer with 886 votes. The election was uncontested.

The district also passed their annual budget, which calls for a slight increase of less than one percent (0.99 percent). The vote passed with 826 yes votes to 311 no votes.

The increase estimates to a yearly increase of $92 (0.25 cents per day) for the averaged assessed home in the community (the average assessed home in the community is 1,995).

The district also passed their propositions 2 with 805 yes votes to 301 no votes and proposition 3 with 813 yes votes to 297 no votes.

Proposition #2: Capital Reserve in the amount of $10,000,000 to pay costs of masonry upgrades, plumbing upgrades, electrical upgrades, mechanical upgrades, technology upgrades, telephone upgrades, roof replacement on District buildings, door replacement, window replacement, turf replacement, fencing, site work, including but not limited to paving, curbs and sidewalks, renovation/reconstruction/construction of interior and exterior instructional and/or athletic spaces, abatement of hazardous materials and/or the purchase of furnishings. Proposition #3: Repair Reserve in the amount of $6,000,000 for the purposes of paying for repairs to capital improvements or equipment of a type that does not recur annually or at shorter intervals.