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Honoring those who served Voters reject school budget Travis Barr-Longo to join BOE
Kate Hill
The Cazenovia Central School District Annual Budget Vote & Board of Education Election was held on May 21. Voters rejected the proposed 2024-25 budget, elected three candidates to the school board, and passed two other propositions.
Kate Hill
On Monday, May 27, Cazenovia observed Memorial Day with a parade led by the American Legion Post 88 Color Guard and a program at Memorial (Cannon) Park honoring and remembering all those who have served in the military and gave what President Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion” while defending the United States. During the ceremony, retiring Post 88 Commander Gene Gissin delivered a presentation titled “What Memorial Day Means to Me.”
By kate hill Staff writer
St. Peter’s to close The Key after over six decades By kate Hill Staff Writer
The Key consignment shop, which has been part of the Cazenovia community since 1960, will close permanently on July 31 due to financial challenges. A ministry of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the shop offers residents a place to purchase affordable, gently used clothes and household goods and to consign items. Originally, The Key’s profits were used to fund the ministries of the women of St. Peter’s. Items were brought in and sold in the parish hall on Sundays. Over time, the project’s purpose evolved, and its
location changed multiple times. Today, the shop is located at 66 Albany St., and its profits are put directly back into the community through grants for local organizations such as CazCares and Vera House. “I was executive director of The Key for about [a year],” said Lorie Riedl, who held the position until December 2019 and now sits on the St. Peter’s vestry. “It was a wonderful, fulfilling experience as we were serving the community and St. Peter’s on several different levels. . . . Our 40-plus loyal volunteers created a caring and supportive atmosphere for our customers and consigners. Our
consigners were able to make some money and also support a number of community organizations and St. Peter’s through the sale of their goods. Volunteers developed friendships that extended past their hours at The Key.” St. Peter’s announced its decision to close the shop in a letter to the community signed by the church’s rector, Reverend Rebecca Roberts; Senior Warden McEwan Van der Mandele; Junior Warden Suzanne Evans; and vestry members Cynthia Curtin, Betsy Moore, Tim McCay, Tim Galbreath, Rick Lounsbury, and Riedl. “We arrived at this difficult decision after much
prayer, listening, and discernment,” the letter states. “. . . Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts, The Key has been operating at a loss for several years. This has created significant financial strain on our congregation, a reality which was only exacerbated by the pandemic.” According to the letter, The Key could not afford to hire a new executive director after its last director resigned in early 2023, so the shop was left with only a manager and a part-time assistant manager. “The deficit budget of The Key meant that we had to borrow from our church’s endowment to The Key l Page 3
On May 21, voters in the Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) rejected a proposed $38,826,826 spending plan for the 2024-25 school year. The proposed budget, which the CCSD Board of Education (BOE) unanimously adopted on April 15, represented a 6.29 percent increase in spending over the 202324 budget. In a budget newsletter released in advance of the vote, the district said its proposal would maintain academic and support programming while closing this year’s budget gap with an estimated 5.84 percent tax levy increase, the use of $1,641,005 in fund balance, some restored state aid, and $399,295 in spending cuts, including the use of attrition and restructuring of several BOCES services. “This strategic approach not only bridges the current financial gap but also positions the district for enhanced stability in the future,” the newsletter said. “Importantly, this budget preserves our commitment to excellence in academics, fine arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities. The budget is equitable and responsive to continued challenges presented by New York State education mandates and funding processes.” Voters rejected the budget proposal with a vote of 1,164832, which is a 58 percent approval. Because the proposed 2024-25 tax levy increase exceeded CCSD’s calculated tax levy limit of 4.02 percent, a supermajority of voters — 60 percent or more — was needed for the budget to pass. CCSD announced the results of the vote in a May 22 press release, which states that the district exceeded the tax cap in an effort to balance the budget without making significant program and staff cuts. According to New York State law, a BOE has three options when a proposed school budget is rejected at the polls. The board can choose to put the same budget up for a vote a second time, put a revised budget up for a vote, or go directly to a contingency budget. If voters reject a budget proposal a second time, the board must enact a contingency budget without a tax levy increase. According to the district’s budget newsletter, the contingency budget for the 2024-25 school year is $37,541,975; therefore, CCSD would need to cut all non-contingent expenses, totaling $1,284,851, from its spending proposal. “I think it is important for the community to know that if we have to go to a contingency budget, the district will be forced to recommend cuts to academics, extracurriculars, fine arts, and athletics,” Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio said in the May 22 press release. “A contingency budget could also require the district to charge all community groups for facility use or close facilities for any outside use. I am disheartened by the outcome of the budget proposition. Administrators plan to put together a revised proposal for the board of education that continues to put students first.” According to the press release, the administration and Voters l Page 2
Volume 214, Number 22 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Periodical Postage Paid at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
sports: Cazenovia baseball tops Skaneateles in playoff opener.
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schools: Cazenovia junior to serve as New York State FFA treasurer.
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Editorial ��������������������� 4
PennySaver ���������������� 6
history ������������������������ 4
school news ������������� 2
letters ������������������������ 5
Sports ��������������� 3,11,12