By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:joe.olenick@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joe</a>
Public school districts all over New York State will be going to the voting booth Tuesday. In Eastern Niagara County residents will be deciding on their district budgets and open school board seats.
Here’s a look at what will be on the ballot:
• BARKER: Incumbent board members Gordon Kenyon, Randall Atwater and Ronald Clemens will run unopposed. Voters will decide on the creation of a capital reserve fund of $3.5 million and the district’s $20,202,631 proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 1.71 percent increase in spending and carries a 2.9 percent increase in the tax levy.
• ROY-HART: Incumbent board member Patricia Riegle and resident Susan Hughes will run unopposed. Voters will decide on the creation of a capital reserve fund of $1 million and the district’s $23,424,631 proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 0.05 percent increase in spending and has no increase in the tax levy.
• WILSON: Incumbent board members Jack Hanna and Michael Leggett will run unopposed. Voters will decide on adding a school resource officer at the Middle/High School and the district’s $23,850,295 proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 2.56 percent increase in spending and will not have an increase in the tax levy.
• STARPOINT: Incumbent board members Rae Amacher, Gregory Brehm and Mark Ewart will run unopposed. Voters will decide on the district’s $44,165,176 proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 5.45 percent increase in spending and could carry a 1.38 percent increase in the tax rate.
• NEWFANE: Incumbent board member Carl Stieffenhofer and residents Kelly Artieri, Greg Zaftrow, James Reineke and Ann Horning will run for two open board seats. Voters will decide on the district’s $32,831,229 proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 2.76 percent increase in spending and will not have an increase in the tax levy.
• LOCKPORT: Incumbent board members John Linderman, Allan Jack and James Gugliuzza, as well as resident Emma Hamilton will run for three open board seats. Voters will also decide on the district’s $77 million proposed budget for 2009-10. The budget is a 4.95 percent increase in spending and will have a 0.25 increase in the tax levy.
