A total of 48 votes meant the passage of Hicksville's 2006-2007 spending plan of $98.15 million. On Tuesday, residents voted 1,421 to 1,373 in favor of Proposition I, a 7.33 percent budget-to-budget increase over the current year's spending. With state aid estimated to be 10.23 percent or approximately $10,038,530, passage of the budget means the average Class 1 homeowner's tax bill will be approximately $3,866 - a $224 increase over the current year's average tax bill of $3,642.

Residents also approved Proposition #2 allowing the district to establish a capital reserve fund, in the amount not to exceed $1.3 million, for a probable term of three years. A total of 1,350 residents voted in favor of this proposition while 1,212 voted against it. Capital projects will be supported by transferring $1.3 million of unexpended surplus for the 2005-2006 school year to the fund, incurring no additional costs to the taxpayer in the 2006-2007 school year; and expending the maximum amount of $1.3 million for the specific aforementioned projects including other related and incidental work starting in the 2006-2007 school year.

The monies will go toward masonry repairs at the Fork Lane School, concrete site work at Dutch Lane and Lee Avenue, flooring and seating replacement for the Middle School auditorium and roof, classroom ceiling, lighting and interior door replacement at district-wide locations as well as architect and project management fees.

As in previous years, voters approved Proposition #3 - the allocation of $50,000 to the Hicksville Gregory Museum for educational services associated with its programs. Proposition #3, which represents two dollars and change from each family per year, well under the $5 admission fee charged to non-Hicksville residents for just one adult visit to the museum, passed 1,296 to 1,224.

This year, two seats on the Hicksville Board of Education were up for grabs and both candidates ran unopposed for three-year terms. Anthony J. Edelman received 1,503 votes and will begin serving on the board in July. He was elected to the seat being vacated by Gus Costa. Joanne Owens, who was appointed to the board last summer when Pat Love resigned, received 1,705 votes. Her term commenced immediately and will run through June 30, 2009.

- V.A.C.