Jefferson County school budgets pass

Every school district budget in Jefferson County was approved Tuesday, many by large margins.

Many of the districts, including Belleville Henderson, Carthage, South Jefferson, Thousand Islands and Watertown, offered voters no increase in the tax levy.

Many contested Board of Education races, including those in General Brown, Sackets Harbor and Thousand Islands, also were decided.

Alexandria Bay: Voters passed the budget 235-87.

On a vote of 209-72, voters also approved a proposition to increase the annual support for the Macsherry Library to $10,000, from $6,000.

Richard R. LeClerc and Stephen Dreizler each earned two-year Board of Education seats with 231 and 171 votes, respectively. Jane E. Aikins finished third with 166 votes.

Belleville Henderson: Voters passed the budget 264-50.

The top two vote-getters, who won five-year board seats, were incumbents Patrick R. Jareo, with 247 votes, and Ginger L. Cook, with 187 votes. Challenger Bryan W. Stumpf received 155 votes.

General Brown:Voters passed the budget 418-132. Voters also approved a proposition, 403-116, to purchase three buses at an amount not to exceed $260,000.

Incumbents Jeffrey Timerman, 359 votes, and Joanne McKinney, 320 votes, along with newcomer Jeffrey West, 353 votes, earned three-year seats on the board. They beat out candidates John Hardy, who received 146 votes, and Julie Hulbert, who received 304 votes.

Indian River: The budget passed 178-57.

The top two vote-getters for the Board of Education were granted a seat. Rhonda L. Calhoun and Linda Capone each earned seats, with 184 and 148 votes, respectively. Candidates Anthony P. Losada and Monica Orecchio received 51 and 30 votes, respectively.

LaFargeville: Voters passed the budget 109-16. Incumbent Sheryl Wilson, who ran unopposed, received 119 votes for a five-year term on the school board.

Lyme: Voters passed the budget 165-77. A proposition to purchase a school bus for $93,815 also was approved, 161-80, and one to provide $29,000 to Lyme Free Library passed 156-83.

Lynn Reichert and incumbents Kathy Dyer and Deanna Lothrop each earned five-year seats, with 160, 185 and 176 votes, respectively.

Sackets Harbor: Voters passed the budget 217-157. A proposition to purchase one bus for an amount not to exceed $106,076 passed 241-132.

Dale Phillips beat out Stephanie J. Elliott for the vacant five-year board seat, 191-166.

South Jefferson: The budget passed 249-56.

Incumbents Chris Hyde-Hall and Kenneth M. Bibbins received 269 and 261 votes, respectively. Ms. Hyde-Hall won a five-year term and Mr. Bibbins a three-year term on the school board. Voters also supported a proposition to purchase school buses, at a maximum cost of $484,000, 252-40.

Thousand Islands: Voters passed the budget 397-161.

Voters also approved, 372-176, a proposition to purchase four school buses for $430,451. They also supported, 408-113, a proposition to sell five vacant, unused parcels of land owned by the district.

Incumbent Virginia W. Edsall, with 235 votes, earned a three-year seat on the board by defeating Paul Barton, 218, and Lori Wilson Arnot, 114. Incumbent Jolene A. Radley defeated Daniel Wiley, 353-210, to earn the other three-year seat on the board.

Watertown: Voters passed the budget 332-126.

Incumbent Patrick J. Powers received 364 votes and Yvonne E. Gebo received 331 votes. Mr. Powers will fill the five-year seat on the board and Ms. Gebo will serve out the remaining two years of the seat vacated by Shelly A. Richardson last month.