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Liverpool (WSYR-TV) - There is a lot on the line as taxpayers cast their votes on school budgets across the area. Faced with shrinking state aid, districts have been forced to propose controversial spending plans with cuts in programs and staff.
People in the West Genesee School District started voting at 6:00 a.m., including teacher Kristen Hudson. She was part of a group of district employees who accepted a pay freeze request.
"The economy is not good, and we're all in this together" said Hudson, a second grade teacher. "If we're not willing to cut and compromise when other people are going without, that doesn't show very good faith."
David Howes, who also showed up early to vote, agreed. "It seems like they've gone the extra mile to cut costs, and people have made concessions, so now, to not have the budget pass, it would be a shame."
Overall, Central New York schools are looking at a loss of more than 1,185 positions.
North Syracuse would eliminate 67. In Auburn, the proposed plan would lose 56 positions. West Genesee, despite employees taking a pay freeze, would still cut 53 positions.
There's been mixed reaction to the proposed budgets throughout Central New York, but it does seem more people say they're voting against the proposal.
North Syracuse voters, for example, are being asked to decide on a budget that includes a 5.2 percent tax rate hike and the elimination of 67 positions. It will get at least two no votes we know for sure, but probably many more.
"I don't see how we can afford it," Sharon Morin from North Syracuse told NewsChannel 9. "Our paychecks don't go up, we haven't had a raise in what two years in Social Security, so what's there for us, where are we getting it, we're on a budget, we have to cut back too."
"Some of these projects should go away," said Brad Keller, who also lives in the North Syracuse district. "I'm sorry if they need to have teachers here or books or supplies,"
They might vote 'no' to send a message to the Board of Education that they don't like the direction of the district, but what that no vote means to the budget that will eventually be adopted is never really clear.
"For instance you don't know if a no vote means they cut a program you like and therefore the budget should have been bigger," said Rick Timbs of the Statewide School Finance Consortium. "You don't know if a no vote is because you think your taxes are too high, you don't know if a no vote is reflective of the tax structure within the school district."
Several Jordan-Elbridge voters find themselves faced with this dilemma. They want to express their dissatisfaction with the district's controversial year. They want to send a clear message.
"Any vote against the budget is obviously a vote of a lack of support," said J-E voter Jim Manley.
"They're spending all our money and its not going towards the kids, that's the whole deal, we're wasting all this money on all these interim people, all these lawyers fees, it's ridiculous," Jill Comstack, another J-E voter, said.
When the results of the votes begin to roll in after 9:00 Tuesday night, the volume of the message will be clear.
What happens if a budget is defeated?If a budget is defeated, there are a few options for the school boards to take.
They could resubmit the same budget for another vote or ask the public to vote on a modified version.
There is a limit of two budget votes, after which the district must resort to a contingency budget that limits spending increases to 1.92 percent.
A district could also choose to adopt a contingency budget after the first vote fails.
