Holley, Kendall budgets pass

Despite offering a budget that brings with it a 21 percent tax increase, voters in the Holley Central School District approved the proposed $16.8 million budget by a margin of almost two to one.

School Superintendent Mary Anne Kermis extended a "huge thank you" to the voters in Holley. "We are so very grateful for your support of the budget," she said. "I can feel the energy glowing in the community. The taxpayers' approval of the budget gives us the support and finances we need to move the district forward."

Voters approved the budget with 1,113 casting yes votes and 644 casting dissenting votes. The proposition for the purchase of school buses passed 941 to 697.

Out of nine possible candidates for three open school board seats, Brenda Swanger, John Heise and Dorothy Morgan were elected with votes of 899, 841 and 498, respectively. Elaine Berg, Linda Flow, Rocco Gervasi, Norman Knight, Amy O'Mara and Shannon Sauro-Quill, did not garner enough votes in their bids for election to gain seats on the board of education.

Kermis said this year's budget turnout was the biggest in the entire history of the district.

In Kendall, district voters lent their approval to a $13.5 million spending plan that brought with it a 7.6 percent tax increase. The budget was approved by a margin of 371-206.

Randall Spurr received 428 votes in his bid for a board of education seat while Lucille Welch garnered 442. Spurr will fill the last three years of Bill Ottman's term and Welch will serve a five-year term on the board.