Tuckahoe Voters Reject $17.8M Budget; Steudte Defeats Grindle

The 's failed, 228-275, on Tuesday, and former School Board member ousted incumbent by an 8-vote margin.

Steudte received 220 votes to Grindle's 212. At least 71 voters abstained from deciding on a candidate.

Under the proposed budget, the tax rate was projected to rise by 9.54 percent to $7.23 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The tax rate increase was pushed up by a 4.91 percent dip of the total assessed value of properties in the district, meaning the impact on homeowners whose property values decreased would have been less than 9.54 percent.

Inclusive of collected property taxes and STAR reimbursement from New York State, the tax levy was budgeted to increase 1.99 percent. According to the district’s budget brochure, the increase could have been as high as 2.7 percent while still adhering to New York State's new tax cap.

In 2011, the Tuckahoe budget .

School Board Chairman Robert Grisnik said the board members had done everything they could to keep the budget increase down, and when they have their next meeting Monday they will discuss what comes next. "The board has to sit down and go over this vote and see what we have to do pertaining to the law," he said.

Asked for his assessment of why the budget failed, Superintendent Chris Dyer said, "The community voted with their hearts."

If the budget, after a revision, is defeated a second time when put to a vote June 19, the district will be forced onto a contingency budget, with a 0 percent spending increase.

Voters also rejected a proposition to expend $465,000 from the district's capital reserve fund to replace heating pipes. "They're old and they need to be replaced," Grisnik said.

He added that National Grid is slated to visit the school to assist with attaining grants to switch from oil to gas heat.

The new piping proposition received 120 votes in favor and 222 against, and at least 161 voters abstained.

Voters did, however, approve sending Tuckahoe 9th through 12th graders to Southampton and Westhampton Beach high schools, and they signed off on $54,386 for the district's participation in the Southampton Youth Association, and $7,868 for participation in the Parrish Art Museum.

For the Sag Harbor School District voting results, . For Southampton School District results, . For Bridgehampton and Sagaponack, .