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Area school budgets pass with ease

HARLEM VALLEY — The Millbrook, North East (Webutuck) and Pine Plains central school districts’ budgets passed after going to taxpayer vote Wednesday, May 19.

According to the New York State School Boards Association, 98.6 percent of school budgets passed statewide.

Millbrook

The 2015-16 budget passed 299-120.

The budget is in the amount of $28,326,445 with a tax levy increase of 1.98 percent — below Millbrook’s prescribed cap of 2.76.

The District-wide Renovations, Reconstruction and Construction Reserve Fund proposition passed 270-138.

The fund was set up in 2012 with $2 million.

The approval authorizes the district to increase the maximum amount of the fund by $2 million from “unexpended unassigned appropriations in the general fund.”

John Rudy was re-elected to the Board of Education (BOE) with 237 votes.

John O’Donnell was elected with 231 votes to Nicole Radovic’s 210.

North East (Webutuck)

The 2015-16 budget passed 235-51.

The budget totals $21,382,078 with a tax levy increase of 1.66 percent — at Webutuck’s prescribed cap.

The bus purchase proposition passed 191-62.

The approval authorizes the purchase of two 30-passenger buses and two minivans for $140,000.

Nicole Johnson was elected to the BOE with 217 votes.

Richard Keller-Coffey was elected to the BOE with 202 votes.

Cory Chinn received 64 votes.

Pine Plains

The 2015-16 budget was approved 316-157.

The budget is $29,328,656 with a tax levy increase of 2.84 percent — below Pine Plains’ prescribed cap of 3.22.

The bus purchase proposition passed 320-157.

The approval authorizes the district to purchase two 30-passenger buses, one 34-passenger bus and two 60-passenger buses for $353,346. 

The “District-wide Renovations, Reconstruction and Construction Reserve Fund” proposition passed 329-144.

The fund was set up in 2014 and held $2,840,000 at the time of the vote. 

The approval authorizes the district to use $820,058 from the fund toward construction of the $3 million Bus Maintenance Facility that was approved last year.

Sue Reilly was re-elected to the BOE with 333 votes, as was Heidi Johnson with 287 votes.

Joseph Kiernan was elected to the BOE with 308 votes.

Lakeville Journal

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DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

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