The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 3

L-2 THE RECORD 2P LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2002 SCHOOL ELECTION RESULTS HOW CANDIDATES, BUDGETS FARED AT THE POLLS te. mtK m- 4 K.B. a ioa mnx tas. K. iJk ft JA.i a.

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I i V. J- IT 3 1 1U i 1 l(t r-aer! iT( 1 I ftW-l -sr i-JH ill'' K.v-fsv i i.r I a--fc4 s-. 4t)Z I i ri -r-y-i ..1... .1 i WANAQUE Tfeiee three-year terms The following are the results of school board elections in Passaic County and eastern Morris County. Vote totals are unofficial and in most cases do not include absentee ballots.

Incumbents are noted by a (I). Winners are noted by a (). Write-ins are noted by a (W). DON SMITHSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Voters at Stony Brook School in Kinnelon, where a school board election drew a big turnout Tuesday. N.

Haledon vote backs pro-secession forces the district houses 573 students. In January, voters rejected an $11.6 million expansion project. Blanos, 43, of Highland Road, is a project coordinator in telecommunications and a six-year board veteran. President of the board, sue and her husband have two children u. the local school system.

Martinez, 50, of Lisa Court, is a professor and assistant vice president of academic affairs at William Paterson University. He serves as treasurer for the North Haledon Education Foundation. He is married and has two children. Stoll, 46, of DeGray Street, is a pipe fitter and foreman for Local 274. He served on the Manchester Regional board for four years until his seat was eliminated because of the growing population of neighboring Haledon.

He is married and has three children. By EMAN VAR0QUA STAFF WRITER NORTH HALEDON The communitywide debate on whether to secede from Manchester Regional High School took a decisive turn Tuesday as pro-secession forces elected one incumbent and two newcomers to influence the local school board's decisions on the matter. Meanwhile, voters also defeated a tax levy of $5 million, to support a $5.8 million district budget for 2002-03. Owners of the average home in North Haledon, assessed at $270,000, would have paid an additional $192 in taxes. About 26 percent of 5,168 registered voters cast ballots.

Incumbent Maureen Blanos, Pedro Martinez, and former Manchester Regional High School board member Bruce Stoll won three-year terms on the board, receiving 584, 625, and 607 votes, respectively. Several voters interviewed Tuesday said they supported the Manchester secession and voted for candidates who would vie for the matter. On SepL 24, voters will return to the polls to vote on pulling out of the regional high school. "I'm one of those residents who wants out of Manchester," said Judy Cipolletti after casting her vote. "I went for candidates that felt the same way." Improving test scores and a school expansion project are also among the issues the newly elected trustees have said they would address.

All three said an addition to Memorial School would be needed to support a projected enrollment of 800 in 2005. Currently 549 1,473 NORTH HALEDON Three three-year terms Maureen Blanos (I) David Schottanes (I) Lisa Antropow Rose Belvedere 584 384 398 500 625 607 Pedro Martinez Bruce Stoll Tax-levy referendum: $5,002,483 Yes: 418 No: 889 PASSAIC Three three-year terms Evelyn T. Robinson (I) 939 Victor Santiago (I) 1,147 Alex D. Blanco 690 Rafael Garcia Ramon Gonzalez Kenneth J. Lucianin Stephanie Tidwell 972 494 851 520 One one-year unexpired term Carlos B.

Sinnung 1,197 Leon Smith 511 Tax-levy referendum: $13,569,390 Yes: 940 No: 449 PASSAIC VALLEY One three-year term in Little Falls yToni Belford Damiano (I)523 One one-year unexpired term in Little Falls No candidate One three-year term in Totowa yjamesNiland(I) 472 One one-year unexpired term in Totowa Giuseppe "Joseph" Appio 430 One three-year term in West Pa-terson James Belford (I) NA Tax-levy referendum: $13,354,682 Yes: 1,078 No: 1,184 PATERSON Three three-year terms yiuan "Mitch" Santiago (I) 1.483 Daniel Vergara Sr. (I) Chauncey I. Brown III 1,534 Jonathan Hodges 1,700 AdaV.Pugh 680 Elbita Perez 983 Nancy Grier .1,142 P0MPT0N LAKES Three three-year terms Joel Bernstock (I) Joyce Colfax (I) Mary Curran (I) Ronald Norman 547 586 479 382 Tax-levy referendum: $14,536,012 Yes: 501 No: 302 PROSPECT PARK Two three-year terms Pamela Eruhow(I) 241 Craig Jolliffed) 222 Kathy Esquiche 218Jose Pantoja 170 Tax-levy referendum: $1,426,798 Yes: 213 No: 108 RINGWOOD Three three-year terms Debra Dittemer (I) Doris Masse (I) Michael Hafner Kara Nelson Willie Nelson 574 .579 856 453 439 Tax-levy referendum: $12,195,526 Yes: 508 No: 771 TOTOWA Three three-year terms Neil Van Ess (I) 446 490 462 Cynthia Burghardt(I) Ronald Saia (I) Tax-levy referendum: $7,906,893 Yes: 373 No: 444 Yes: No: Vote on school budgets often not the last word yHeidiBeatty(I) yGraceMaiello(I) Lon Bull Robert Pettet Pamela Mendoza Robert Tomasella Tax-levy referendum: $7,993,009 Yes: 438 No: 656 WAYNE Three three-year terms Catherine Herman(I) 3,229 Karinne Herrschaft (I) 3,026 yGaryRMatano 3,219 Tax-levy referendum: $85,561,171 Yes: 2,508 No: 2,819 WEST MILF0RD Three three-year terms Barbara Harlin (I) 1,831 1,816 1,714 Chris Rahey Kenneth Freedman Tax-levy referendum: $34,736,328 Yes: 1,561 No: 1,215 WESTPATERS0N Three three-year terms Natalie Esposito (I) NA Charles Theodora Jr. (I) NA yTricia Doyle NA Tax-levy referendum: $8,654,747 Yes: 282 No: 364 MORRIS COUNTY BUTLER Three three-year terms Richard Kovats (I) Patrick Urciuoli(I) Kevin Ellis (I) 354 364 351 Tax-levy referendum: $9,043,116 Yes: 300 No: 192 KINNELON Two three-year terms Howard F. Appelt Jeanne Horovitz 641 439 663 1,056 744 Gary Moleta.

Diane Mclntee Dr. Allen S. Kirk Tax-levy referendum: $20,384,775 Yes: 786 No: 1,011 LINCOLN PARK Three three-year terms yGaryStranz (I) Kevin Lancaster (I) Paul Canfora 352 444 374 192 293 Malcolm Chamalian Steven Siwek Tax-levy referendum: $12,550,767 Yes: 341 No: 287 PEQUANNOCK Three three-year terms yjohnCina (1) Barbara Cook (I) Peggy M. O'Dowd William G. Slater 850 926 609 855 Tax-levy referendum: $21,552,341 Yes: 751 No: 586 RIVERDALE Two three-year terms Michael Reilly (I) Peter Caraccio (I) Theresa Pellegrini Sal Antoniello 203 173 226 101 Tax-levy referendum: Yes: No: $3,916,553 291 117 Riverdale Public Question: Should an additional $222,521 in taxes be raised to maintain school staff positions and partially fund school programs, transportation costs, and hot lunch food service in the district? Yes: 286 No: 122 said they would come back," said Traier, who was at the school.

The proposed budget included an increase of $3,703,441 over this year. It would have required a tax levy, including debt service, of $81,475,549, which is $5,297,802 more than this year. Voters turned down the general fund levy of $76,987,266. Property taxes would have increased $148.30 on a home assessed at $171,000, the city average. The separate proposal that passed will fund repairs and improvement projects and increase taxes by $54.72 on an average home.

PASSAIC COUNTY BLOOMINGOALE Three three-year terms Mark Cutler 405 377 Edward Ball Sr. (I) Keith Keeler 65 Tax-levy referendum: $9,678,455 Yes: 280 No: 320 CLIFTON Three three-year terms. Lizz Gagnon (I) Marie Hakim (1) James Leeshock John Traier 2,825 3,241 3,048 3,957 Tax-levy referendum: $76,987,266 Yes: 2,373 No: 2,674 Clifton Public Question 1 Should an additional $1,650,000 in taxes be raised for capital maintenance projects in Clifton High School, Schools 5, 8, and 9, and Columbus Middle School? Yes: 2,571 No: 2,426 Clifton Public Question 2: Should an additional $2,427,700 in taxes be raised to replace the district's outdated computer system to maintain student records, Parent Awarenesslnternet access, and guidance and administration operations? Yes: 2,196 No: 2,547 HALED0N Three three-year terms Anthony Latona (I) 190 Mark McCloskey (I) 215 Joseph F. Scanlon (I) 223 Michael Stanley 162 Steven Nicholas 201 Tax-levy referendum: $3,830,250 Yes: 203 No: 187 HAWTHORNE Three three-year seats Scott J. Chamberlin (I) 1,113 Jospeh Firenze (I) 913 Jacob Locicero (I) 1,071 Philip Speulda 694 Tax-levy referendum: $22,791,987 Yes: 539 No: 1,164 LAKELAND REGIONAL One three-year term in Ringwood Bryan Ward (I) 787 Two three-year terms in Wanaque Ann Mane Potanka (1) 575 Gregory Gavazzi 615 Tax-levy referendum: $10,474,835 Yes: 984 No: 1,441 LITTLE FALLS Three three-year terms Allen Mix (1) 437 460 373 351 Mark Hrehovcik (I) Joseph Billi Kevin Galuska, Tax-levy referendum: $7,827,904 Yes: 439 No: 367 MANCHESTER REGIONAL Two three-year terms in Haledon Frank Felice (I) NA Ellen Fischer NA One three-year-term in Prospect Park Albert Demarest(I) 267 Myra Kat (W) 132 Tax-levy referendum: $6,452,046 Clifton From Page L-l has been on the board for 12 years.

Her priorities include academic improvement, education funding, property tax reform, and finding illegal students. She wants to create a department separate from the administration that investigates illegal students. She thinks the board should also press legislators to fund education through income taxes, not property taxes. Lfccshock is 43 and lives on By PETER J. SAMPSON STAFF WRITER Voters on Tuesday voiced their positions on education funding and taxes by deciding the fate of 550 New Jersey public school budgets that carry a combined local tax levy of nearly $8 billion.

Last year, 81 percent of school budgets passed, a decline from the record 88 percent rate in 2000, but the third straight year that more than 80 percent of school levies won voter approval. When voters defeat a budget or secondary ballot question -spending earmarked for specific items such as new computers or hiring additional teachers to maintain class size the proposals are not necessarily dead. The district is required to turn over the budget to municipal officials, who can impose cuts, or overrule voters and approve the original levy. If cuts are made, the school board can appeal to the education commissioner to restore the money. When a secondary spending question is defeated, the governing body reviews the proposal, and it has the last word on whether to eliminate, reduce, or allow the spending.

The appeal process begins soon whether a budget reduction would hurt the district's ability to provide a thorough and efficient education, or impact the long-term stability of the district. The commissioner can approve either the board's original budget or the revised figure submitted by the municipality, or he can make his own revisions and restore certain items. The commissioner's decision may be appealed to the state Board of Education and, beyond that, to the Appellate Division of state Superior Court, although appeals are rarely taken that far. The role of the municipal councils in school budget reviews has grown in recent years. In districts where budgets exceed the state's growth limitation of 3 percent, voters are asked to cast a second vote to approve spending for a specific purpose.

If a second ballot question is rejected, an appeal may be made only to the municipal body, whose decision is final. Such second-ballot questions, formerly known as cap waivers, typically request extra tax dollars for computers and technology programs, sports and other extracurricular activities, so-called courtesy busing, and, in some cases, simply to maintain existing class sizes and levels of service. crease over the last several years. A state investigation into the matter is ongoing, but the voters apparently didn't want to wait for results due this month. Dick Schineller, a resident of the affluent Smoke Rise community, said he tends "to vote in favor of children getting more opportunities" and has supported prior school tax proposals.

But this year, he said, the spending debacle swayed him the other way. "With all the mysteries, I can only vote against" the levy, he said. Under the proposed tax levy, school property taxes would have increased by $546, to $5,382, on a home assessed at the borough average of $390,000. Staff Writer Matthew Brown's e-mail address is brownmanorthjersey.com after a levy is defeated at the polls. By Thursday, the school board must submit its spending plan; most recent audit; staffing, enrollment, and tuition projections; salary schedules, and related documents to the municipal governing body and to the county schools superintendent for review.

Municipal officials, in consultation with the board, have a month to decide where and how much to cut. May 20 is the deadline for certifying to the county Board of Taxation the amount of money needed to be raised by taxes for school purposes for the coming school year. When cuts are imposed, the municipality must specify which line items are to be reduced and why the cuts won't adversely affect the district's ability to provide a "thorough and efficient education," as required by the state constitution. The district then has the option of accepting a reduced budget and determining where to make cuts, or pursuing a further appeal. If the board continues to appeal, it must submit an application to state Education Commissioner William L.

Librera by May 30 through the county superintendent. Municipal officials have 10 days to reply with any comments. The appeal will hinge on handling of the shortfall. "This is a mandate for change. 1 hope the other candidates will stay involved and join in the process of rebuilding the school district." The surprise shortfall in the 2001-02 budget had already forced the resignation of the business administrator, and helped persuade the superintendent to retire sooner than planned.

Supporters of the tax levy said Tuesday that it was time for the district to move on. But those pleas failed to overcome widespread alienation with school officials in this community, which traditionally has placed education on a pedestal. McGuire and board members have said former Business Administrator Daniel Aronoff bears the brunt of responsibility for the shortfall. They accused him of covering up insufficient revenues while spending continued to in Kinnelon: Voters show anger From Page L-l recurrence of that debacle. With municipal taxes already increasing 47 percent to replenish a rainy-day surplus depleted by the bailout, voters drew a line on a proposed 4 percent school spending increase.

The tax levy was defeated by a vote of 1,01 1 to 786, with 30 percent of registered voters casting ballots. Mclntee received 1,056 votes, and Kirk, 744. Both will serve three-year terms. The newcomers had campaigned on a promise to re-instill trust in a school system shaken by the budget crisis, blamed by many on lax oversight by the Board of Education and Superintendent Lois McGuire. "The people let it be known that they're not happy with the way things are," said Mclntee, among a chorus of critics of the Harold Place with his wife and two children.

He is a lifelong resident who owns a custom framing business in Clifton. He says he hopes to put education over politics, having fiscal responsibility, eliminating illegal students, and improving teacher retention. Also, the board should work more closely with the community while working together as a team, he said. Poll workers arrived about 45 minutes late at School 14, where machines for Ward 1, District 10 and Ward 1, District 22 did not open until after 2 p.m. "A handful of people left and.