2013 Hauppauge Voter Guide: How Will You Vote?

Voters in Hauppauge will head to the polls on Tuesday to say “yes” or “no” to the School District’s proposed $101,834,716 budget.

Despite rising costs, the district will not be laying off any teachers due to budget cuts, Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss said at a school board meeting. However, three educators on the elementary level will be let go due to lower enrollment. Two of those positions are due to retirements and will not be filled.

One unique aspect of Hauppauge's budget this year is that business districts will contribute more to the 2013-14 school budget than resident taxpayers. Businesses and commercial industries will foot the bill for approximately 55-percent of the tax levy, while homeowners will contribute about 45-percent, according to James Stucchio, assistant superintendent for business of operations.

The bulk of the budget increase has to do with skyrocketing pension costs, which are mandated by the state. Employer contributions into the teachers’ retirement system will increase by 37 percent, school officials said at a budget meeting last Tuesday. In addition, the district’s contributions into the employee retirement system, which includes most non-instructional personal, will jump by 22 percent. The increases have forced the district's pension costs up by roughly $2.5 million.

Will you vote yes or no? Why? Log in to Patch and tell us in the comments.

Proposition 1: Quick Facts
• Proposed Budget: $101,834,716.
• Average Tax Increase for Homeowners: $200.
• Tax Levy Increase: 3.6 percent (below the cap).
• Year-Over-Year Budget Increase: $3,188,605  

Proposition 2: Use of Capital Reserve Funds
If approved by the voters, $1,215,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund will be used to complete the following projects: 
• Asphalt repair and repaving, including drainage at Bretton Woods.
• Asphalt repair and repaving at the High School.
• Window replacement (rear two wings) at Whiporwil.

Recent Budget Coverage on Commack Patch:

• Hauppauge School Budget Discussions Come to a Close
  
• Hauppauge School Board Adopts $101 Million Budget
  
• Aging Technology Prompts Possible Increase
  
• Pension Costs Skyrocket
  

School Board Candidates (vote for three)

• Geri Richter 
  
• Ginger Todaro
  
• David Barshay
• Gary Fortmeyer
  
• Rob J. Scarito

Polling Information

• Location: Whiporwil Administration Building
  
• Vote between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

What if the budget doesn’t pass?
• The school board can choose to put the same budget up for a re-vote at a future date.
• The school board can choose to put up a revised budget at a future date.
• The school board can choose to go right into a contingency budget, which would not increase the tax levy but which would cause significant cuts to programs and staff.
• If a budget vote fails twice, the school district automatically is subject to a contingency budget.