On Tuesday evening October 1st, the Southampton School Board authorized a public referendum regarding the merger between the Southampton and Tuckahoe School Districts. Each district will votes separately on Tuesday, October 29.
For your information, the Southampton School Board has indicated that the merger would result in a tax increase of 8.7% for Southampton District residents. Using the numbers provided by the district, if only half of the cost savings are achieved, your Southampton School taxes would instead go up by 17%. If no cost savings are actually achieved, your Southampton school taxes would increase by approximately 25%! No guarantees about savings have been written into the merger propositions.
If the merger proposal is approved by both districts on October 29, then a final binding merger vote will be held on Thursday December 5, 2013. We urge all Southampton registered voters to educate themselves on the pros and cons of the merger and participate in the vote. Obviously this will have long tem implications for current and future taxpayers and residents.
For those of you who may be out of town on both October 29 and December 5, absentee ballots can be cast. You will have to ask for an application for an absentee ballot for both October 29 and December 5.
Below are the details on receiving an absentee ballot. Please start the process as soon as possible since the vote is less than 4 weeks away. Absentee ballots must arrive in the district office by the close of business on October 28th. If you have questions or need assistance, please call 631-745-0004 or email to southamptonassociation@gmail.com.
RE: ABSENTEE BALLOTS to vote on the merger of the Southampton and Tuckahoe School Districts, Tuesday, October 29th and December 5th:
According to District Clerk, Mary Pontieri, those who want an absentee ballot for the October 29th vote can call her (631-591-4516 or email her (mpontieri@southamptonschools.org) for an application and she will mail it to you. The application could be mailed back to her and she would then mail a ballot.
After you have received the ballot, it must be received by the Clerk – by mail or hand delivered – the day before the vote: October 28th.
If you are already in Southampton the most direct way to do this is go to the District Office, located at 70 Leland Lane, Southampton (behind the Intermediate School), fill out an application and vote at the same time. You can do that starting Wed., October 9th.
Suggestion: call Mary Pontieri in advance to be sure that she or someone will be there to assist you.
This website has an absentee ballot application for you to print out for the general election in November.
