Over 3,000 Scarsdale residents and taxpayers cast votes for or against the proposed 2013-2014 school budget Tuesday night, ultimately striking down the fiscal plan and sending trustees back to the drawing board.
The tentative finance strategy, which came in at $145 million, needed 60-percent support to pass, since it exceeded the state's tax cap—but only garnered 46-percent support.
The plan would have led to a 2.47-percent budget increase over last year's numbers. The tax rate would have increased 3.91-percent for Scarsdale residents, and four-percent for Mamaroneck strip residents.
One of the budget's more controversial items was a $325,000 wellness center for students. The current facility was classified by trustees as "overcrowded," "marginally unsafe," and "unfriendly to female athletes."
Other high price-tag items included state-mandated retirement costs, which accounted for about 70-percent of budget growth.
Some 1,502 residents voted in favor of the budget, and 1,720 voted against, Scarsdale schools' spokeswoman Vicki Presser told Patch late Tuesday night.
Presser said the polls, which were open from early morning until 9 p.m., saw heavy traffic all day.
The district saw about 100 absentee ballots come in, as well, Presser added.
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All three uncontested school board hopefuls won their respective elections. The results:
Suzanne Seiden -- 2,318 votes
William Natbony -- 2,270 votes
Leila Shames Maude -- 2,315 votes
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