At Guilderland
Voters pass budget, elect Eisele, Weisz, and Dubowsky



GUILDERLAND — Just over 3,400 Guilderland School District voters turned out Tuesday to pass a $79 million budget and an $828,200 bus purchase.

In a five-way race for three school-board seats, voters returned the only incumbent who was running, Richard Weisz, to the board. And, they elected two candidates who had been defeated last year and campaigned together this year — Denise Eisele and Hy Dubowsky.
"Any time the budget passes, we’re very pleased," Superintendent Gregory Aidala told The Enterprise moments after the results were announced Tuesday night.
"A lot of people contributed," he went on. "We made some changes, curtailing health insurance to the extent possible, and making changes in personnel."
The superintendent concluded, "As always, the budget was a challenge. We’re relieved and we thank the community for its support."

The budget passed in all five polling places, located at each of the district’s elementary schools, by a total vote of 1,898 to 1,515, meaning 56 percent voted in favor and 44 percent against.

Last year, a $76 million budget passed with 54 percent voting for it and 46 percent against just after Guilderland had completed town-wide property revaluation. This year, the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland, parts of which are in the Guilderland School District, have undergone town-wide property revaluation.

This year’s budget was lower than the state-set contingency cap and carries an estimated tax-rate hike of 4.2 percent for Guilderland residents.

A proposition to buy buses and equipment for not more than $828,200 passed as well in all five districts. The vote was 1,994 to 1,371, with 59 percent voting for it and 41 percent voting against it. About half of the purchase of the 10 new buses is to be returned to the district as state aid in the future. Additionally, the district will also buy a new plow truck.

School board race

Two school board leaders — Vice President Linda Bakst and President Gene Danese — did not seek re-election. They were both on hand Tuesday night, with a score of others — candidates, past and present board members, and administrators — as election results were announced in the Guilderland Elementary School gym.

All three winners were involved in a committee that recently looked at alternative funding for the district; Weisz pushed to have the committee formed; Dubowsky chaired it; and Eisele served on it.

All of the candidates supported the budget but they held varied views on school security, teaching to the test, and the length of the school day.

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Denise Eisele came in first, with 1,995 votes, 25 percent.
"I campaigned on more open communication with the board," she told The Enterprise after the results were announced. "My message got across. The board as a whole needs to listen to what parents have to say."
Eisele herself is a parent and was the only woman running for the board. Two of her children, Meg and John, were with her election night. "They campaigned with me," she said.

Eisele, who works part-time as a nurse, lives on Stafford’s Crossing in North Bethlehem with her husband, George, a physician, and their six adopted children, who range in age from nine to 15.

Eisele came in first in all five voting districts.

Like Dubowsky, Eisele was endorsed by both Guilderland Parents Advocate, a group that founder Melissa Mirabile says has over 200 members and is meant for parents to share ideas to improve students’ success, and by FREE (Fiscal Responsibility and Excellence in Education), a group that founding member Michael Marr says has 60 to 80 members.

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Richard Weisz came in second with 1,700 votes, 21 percent.

He has served two three-year terms on the board and said, before the results were announced, as other candidates spoke of their weariness from campaigning and their anxiousness awaiting results, that he was not nervous.
"I do this job because I think it has to be done," said Weisz, explaining it is a matter of public service. He voted early, he said, and added, "There were times today I forgot it was Election Day."

After the votes were tallied, The Enterprise asked Weisz what he thought the results meant. "I think the budget vote is closer than it has been in past years," he said, "and it means we have some work to do on budget issues."

Weisz, a lawyer, is married to Diane Rosenbaum-Weisz, who was elected Tuesday to the Guilderland Public Library’s board of trustees. (See related story.) They live on Mohawk Trail and have two children, both Guilderland graduates currently at university.

Weisz came in second in Altamont, Westmere, and Pine Bush and he came in fourth in Guilderland and Lynnwood.

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Hy Dubowsky came in third with 1,698 votes, 21 percent.
"I think we’re going to move forward with a change in culture in the way the school district does business," Dubowsky told The Enterprise after election results were announced. "I think we’ll continue to move forward with fiscal and budget reform, and put a greater emphasis on financial long-term planning and increase the board’s accountability and responsiveness to the parents and taxpayers of Guilderland."

Dubowsky, who holds five academic degrees, works for the state’s Department of Labor as the economic development director.

He and his wife, Carol Kaelin, a partner in a news service, have three children — two at Guilderland High School, and the eldest who has graduated.

Dubowsky was just two votes behind Weisz, coming in second at Lynnwood, where he lives; third at Altamont, Guilderland, and Pine Bush; and fourth at Westmere.

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Raymond McQuade came in fourth with 1,609 votes, 20 percent.

McQuade was making his first run for the school board because, he said during the campaign, he thought his business expertise would be valuable for the board.

McQuade owns a technology company and his wife, Laura, works in data processing. They have been Guilderland residents for 30 years and live on Woodlawn Drive near the town hall. The McQuades have two children — one at Guilderland’s high school and the other at the middle school.

McQuade was not at Guilderland Elementary School Tuesday night; reached by phone yesterday, he told The Enterprise he was pleased the budget had passed.
"I’m encouraged to see the community stood behind it and I wish the board members well," McQuade said.
Asked if he will run again, McQuade said, "I haven’t given that thought; it’s early." He did say he believed he would serve again on the citizens’ budget advisory committee.

McQuade came in second at Guilderland, third at Lynnwood and Westmere, and fourth at Altamont and Pine Bush.

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Timothy Forster came in fifth with 1,117 votes, 14 percent.

Forster was making his first run for the school board with no set agenda.
"I have the ability and desire to make sure things get done right," he said during the campaign. "I want to listen and learn so I can be effective."
Forster owns a public-information research company and his wife, Laura, works for the state’s Office of Children and Family Services. They have six children and "one on the way," said Forster.
Before the results were announced Tuesday night, Forster surmised who the winners might be. He said Dubowsky and Eisele had a "high profile," campaigning hard and putting up election signs.
After the results were announced, Forster said, "Hy and Denise are two fine people. I’m sure they’ll do a great job...We had five great candidates."
Forster also said he was surprised the budget vote was "so close."

He said he plans to run for the school board again next year.

Last year, in a six-way race for three seats, Eisele came in fourth with 17 percent of the vote and Dubowsky came in fifth with 14 percent.

This year, Forster came in fifth in all five voting districts.