SHARE

State Education Commissioner Denies Putnam Valley Resident's Stay

PUTNAM VALLEY, N.Y. -- The Commissioner of the New York State Education Department has denied the stay by Putnam Valley resident Dan Vera who challenged the $10 million referendum that was held in December by the Putnam Valley Central School District to establish a capital reserve fund.

Putnam Valley resident Dan Vera's appeal to Commissioner of the New York State Education Department has been denied a stay challenging the $10 million referendum that was held in December by the Putnam Valley School District.

Putnam Valley resident Dan Vera's appeal to Commissioner of the New York State Education Department has been denied a stay challenging the $10 million referendum that was held in December by the Putnam Valley School District.

Photo Credit: File photo

Vera was seeking to have the vote set aside so that a new referendum could be held in May during the regular budget vote, as well as having a stay imposed so that no money could be moved to the reserve account until the commissioner had made a decision. 

Vera said the stay was "not a big deal" unless the decision on whether to overturn the vote goes passed June 30.

"If it does, then the school can, and will take the surplus 2015- 2016 budget money and dump it into to this capital improvement reserve fund," Vera added.

Vera, who is manager of operation for the New York City School Construction Authority and a member of the Putnam Valley Central School District’s Citizens' Advisory Committee, believes that taking the surplus budget money and putting it in to the new reserve account and not applying it to future budgets, lessens the district's chance for any tax reduction. 

"When they do find savings, they find another new program or expand an existing program to spend any savings rather then reduce or taxes. These new programs have not had an effect on the college readiness of our children when they graduate," he said.

He said that in regard to his petition, the school's attorney sent a response to the Commissioner denying every point including claiming he was disingenuous, because he was aware of the vote; that they also justified and quantified that they had followed the laws by properly notifying the voting public of the Dec 8 vote, and that they informed the public about the referendum and vote via the broadcast of their board meetings. 

Vera said in return that the meetings are not broadcast live in his area, but are streamed on the board's website and rerun on TV at a later date.

to follow Daily Voice Putnam and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE