F-M voters approve $105 million budget and new school bus purchases

On May 16, Fayetteville-Manlius School District voters approved the district’s $104.9 million 2023-24 budget proposal, elected three board of education members, approved the purchase of six new buses, and approved the creation of a $10 million capital reserve fund. 

The budget proposition passed with 55.9% voter approval; 1,181 yes votes and 932 no votes.

The following results include 133 absentee ballots.

More information about the budget is available at www.fmschools.org/budget-finance.

District-related propositions

A $104,966,845 budget for the 2023-24 school year that increases spending 6.10% ($6,035,915) and carries an estimated 3.82% tax levy increase (using prior year assessed values and equalization rates) : 1,181 yes; 932 no

Purchasing six new school buses at a total cost not to exceed $1,182,121:  1,056 yes; 1,050 no

The creation of a new $10 million capital reserve fund: 1,331 yes; 772 no

Board of education election

Four candidates sought election to three open board of education seats. They are:

  • Jason Catalino: 1,383 votes
  • Rebecca Cohen: 1,506 votes
  • Mucahide (Heidi) Akarvardar: 898 votes
  • Kristen Purcell: 1,471 votes

The terms are three years and begin July 1.

Library propositions

Supporting the Fayetteville Free Library, $1,996,558:  1,170 yes; 937 no

Supporting the Manlius Library, $1,427,736: 1,302 yes; 796 no

New York state education law allows libraries to place a funding proposition on school district ballots and requires school districts, at the libraries’ requests, to levy and collect taxes for libraries.

The libraries are separate legal entities from the school district, with their own funding and budget. The amount of the tax levy collected by a school district for a library remains the same each year until the library requests a proposition to change that amount.