Greenport School Budget Passes With Ease

GREENPORT, NY — The voters have spoken, and have the Greenport Union Free School District's $19,426,000 proposed budget passed by a margin of 65 percent, according to Superintendent David Gamberg.

After the votes were tallied, the results were 249 "yes" and 136 "no" votes.

The proposal calls for a 2.04 percent increase in spending over the current year and the tax levy increase is 2.85 percent, which is within the tax levy cap.

"A good budget, as former Treasurer Secretary Jack Lew said, 'Is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations,'" said Superintendent David Gamberg.

(Lisa Finn)

After the vote he said, "I'm thrilled, and I'm alway grateful to the Greenport community, extremely grateful. It means a lot, it really does."

Sharing administrative costs with Southold, he said, saves Greenport taxpayers more than $250,000 per year.

Sandra Martocchia and Kim Moore Swann ran unopposed to fill two open Board of Education seats; Martocchia got 309 votes and Swann, 324.

"I'm excited, and I'm ready to hit the ground running and get some work done over here," Moore said.

Added Martocchia: "I'm a third generation Greenporter. My daughter is in the school, I was in the school, my father, my father-in-law. I just think it's really important to give back to the community and try to make this the best school we can, for the students, for the parents, for the teachers who work here. It's a community school, so we really have to work together to make some of these improvements that we need in the school."

For additional information on the budget, click here.