Croton-Harmon School Board, Budget Up For Vote May 17

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — The annual school board and budget vote is coming up in Croton May 17, and one of the biggest items district officials are asking voters to approve is a school bus fund.

Four people are running for two seats on the Board of Education: Cathy Connolly, Greg Burns, Joshua Diamond and Theo Oshiro. Diamond is an incumbent. Trustee Iris Bugliosi is not seeking re-election.

The $52.67 million spending plan involves a proposed tax levy increase of 1.92 percent, which is below the state tax cap and below the median tax levy increase in Westchester County. (See more details here.) The budget hearing is May 5.

In addition to the school board election, there are five propositions on the ballot.

• Proposition 1: the $52,672,111 proposed budget for 2022-23.
• Proposition 2 seeks voter OK to spend up to $447,800 for a bus bond to fund a new 66-passenger bus and a new 20-passenger mini-bus.
• Proposition 3 asks approval for district officials to allocate $2 million in excess fund balance to a new Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund. The fund would cover the purchase of vehicles, land and buildings and upgrades for the transportation department, including fuel pumps and charging stations.
• Proposition 4 covers putting $100,000 in a Repair Reserve Fund from the 2021-22 unassigned fund balance for capital improvements or equipment repairs of a type not recurring annually or at shorter intervals.
• Proposition 5 is the Croton Free Library budget of $915,861.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Croton-Harmon High School.