May 23, 2008
by Ann Marie Fallon
On Tuesday, May 20, both the Chappaqua school and library budgets received easy approval by the voters.
Of the 1126 votes cast, 709 (63%) votes supported the school budget and 417 (37%) opposed the spending plan. The library budget had 1118 votes cast with 849 (76%) in support and 269 (24%) in opposition.
The contested races for the two school board seats saw the defeat of incumbent Robert Gursha. Janet Benton, the other incumbent, easily won reelection with 753 votes. Greg Bresner, the newcomer, amassed 618 votes and Gursha received 599 votes, a mere 19 vote difference.
Recount considered, then withdrawn
On Tuesday evening with 12 affidavit ballots still to be resolved, and trailing Bresner by 17 votes, Gursha requested that the voting machines be impounded in anticipation of a possible recount. To obtain a recount the losing candidate must make a request to the New York State Commissioner of Education. If approval is granted, the election totals displayed on the backs of the impounded election booths would be re-examined, as would the 13 absentee and 12 affidavit ballots.
On Wednesday morning after the 12 affidavit ballots had been verified through the Westchester Board of Elections and the votes tallied, Gursha remained behind Bresner by 19 votes. On Thursday, Gursha withdrew his impound request.
The library board seat went to Barbara Lowenthal with 462 votes cast in her favor. She defeated Katherine Campbell Nesbit, who received 387 votes. A board seat opens up every year at the library, so neither candidate was an incumbent.
This year’s turnout of 1126 is identical to last year’s turnout. The largest voter turnout in recent memory was in June of 2000 when the district presented its $56.7 million construction bond issue to the public. That election drew over 4500* voters to the polls, and passed by a tiny margin of 113 votes.
*Editor’s note - We mistakenly reported 2500 voters . We have since corrected the number to 4500 voters
Copyright 2008 NewCastleNOW.org