BROCTON - Starting at noon when the polls opened, a steady line of voters waited Tuesday in the high school gymnasium foyer to cast their ballots on the Brocton School district's proposed 2010-11 budget.
The spending plan called for a total of $14,411,616 in expenditures and a tax levy of approximately 12 percent.
Sitting on a stool next to the voting machine, voting official Mary Trippi said there had been 104 ballots cast in just over an hour when the first levers were pulled at noon.
The polls remained open until 8 p.m.
By that time, 749 voters cast their ballots and defeated the budget by almost a two to one margin with 469 voting no and 249 voting yes.
The residents also turned down the propostion to purchase new buses for the district at a cost of $444,025. The bus vote was 418 no to 268 yes.
Superintendent Jack Skahill said the Brocton School Board will be deciding on the budget at its meeting Wednesday.
"They have three options to consider: putting the same budget up for a second vote, change the proposed spending plan and put the revised budget up for another vote or adopt a contingency budget. They will be making a decision on how they want to move toward the future," he said.
Douglas Walter won election to the school board with a total vote of 522. He defeated Jeffrey Giambino who received 187 votes.
Walter will be sworn in at the Wednesday meeting, replacing Bobbi Jo Gibbon, who resigned her seat prior to moving out of the district. He will be sworn in again for a full-five year term at the board annual organization meeting in July.
As was the tradition during the budget vote, the BCS Business Club under the direction of teacher Nance Ortolano, hosted a tea for the district's senior citizens.
A group of these individuals gathered in the school's cafeteria, sitting at tables covered with appropriate table clothes. The Business Club members served their guests coffee, punch and muffins. The tea's participants said they have enjoyed the event in past years.
Several said they had cast their ballots before coming to the tea while others said they would vote after they had their treats.
When asked if they would share how they voted or intended to vote on the budget and the school board member, none of the tea guests would comment.
The only statement offered by one of the guests was: "It's a shame it has to come to this."
It didn't appear this comment was about the tea but rather was a reflection on the budget vote.