Paul Abbott
JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Public Schools board president Paul Abbot says he’s obviously pleased with the outcome of Tuesday’s vote on the 2018-19 school budget, which resulted in the passage of the districts $86.2 spending plan, as well as the approval of a $2 million capital reserve fund for future construction and renovation projects in the district.
“I think it shows that the community is engaged and interested in the plan that Dr. Apthorpe and his staff have developed and the budget certainly is married to the plans that he has for the future of the district. So the partnership between the district and the community, I think the vote was a great representation of how that is all working right now,” Abbott said.
An estimated 21,000 residents in Jamestown are 18 or older with most eligible to vote in the election if they were to register. However, just 481 peopled voted on the budget. That means just over 2 percent of all eligible voters showed up to vote on the budget and school board race, which was contested.
Abbott says the low turnout could be due to the fact that the school board put forward an acceptable budget.
“Of course we’d like to have more participation,” Abbott said. “I think honestly it’s a reflection that things are going well. We’re not looking to increase taxes and when things are going well and there’s harmony in the district the numbers get a little bit lower. People aren’t fired up about something. Certainly what I would like to see on the other side is people coming out who are fired up about how well things are going, and I do think that was reflective in how the percentage of the vote went.”
The budget, which included no tax increase, was approved by 87 percent of the voters and the capital reserve fund received about the same number of ‘yes’ votes.
RECENT VOTE TOTALS FOR JAMESTOWN SCHOOL BUDGET
- 2018 – 481 total votes
- 2017 – 610 total votes
- 2016 – 964 total votes
- 2015 – 662 total votes
- 2014 – 408 total votes
- 2013 – 388 total votes
- 2012 – 544 total votes
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