The Farmingdale budget and proposition votes and trustee elections were held on May 16 at Howitt Middle School.

Voters chose from four candidates to serve three three-year terms on the Farmingdale Board of Education. Incumbent Shari Bardash-Eivers was re-elected, newcomer Kathy Lively received the most number of votes. Lively will complete Anthony Vitale's term through June 30 and then serve a full three-year term. Rick Morrison was also elected to a three-year term beginning in July.

The results were reported by District Clerk Josephine Murray and are as follows: Kathy Lively - 2,697 votes, Shari Bardash-Eivers - 2,188, Rick Morrison - 2,169 votes and William Meilink - 2,075 votes.

The proposed budget adopted by the Farmingdale Board of Education was $127,144,200 for the 2006-07 school year, which represents a 4.19 percent expenditure increase over the previous year's budget of $122,028,214. The proposed tax levy increase over 2006-07 is 3.5 percent. Residents voted in favor of the budget in a 2,699 (yes) to 1,810 (no) vote.

In addition to the budget vote (Proposition No. 1) and trustee election, a Capital Proposition was put up for public vote as well. The Capital Proposition will be for the replacement of one boiler at Albany Avenue School that has been used since the 1950s, is not reliable and wastes fuel. Through approval of this proposition, a multi- year response to the district's most pressing capital needs can be initiated so that, over the next few years, aging boilers will be replaced district-wide. The estimated cost of this project is $972,300. Residents also approved this proposition in a 2,438 (yes) to 1,922 (no) vote.

The Youth Council budget was also approved 2,659 (yes) to 1,630 (no) votes.