Proposed three district merger fails: What's next?
By: Chelsea Rarrick
Updated: October 19, 2012
The proposed three school district merger has officially been voted down.
District Superintendent, Mark Vivacqua says it's not unusual for a straw vote to be passed, and then rejected in the final binding vote.
And while the vote for the proposed merger is over, reaction from residents is not.
"It's very disappointing, it should have gone through," said Mohawk resident, Del Sebastian.
"I was not surprised at all because a lot of people want to know where are you going to save the money?" said Ilion resident, John Emich.
With Ilion and Mohawk Central School Districts in favor of combining forces, it was was Herkimer who stopped the merger from becoming a reality.
"As far as people showing up, maybe they didn't for the straw vote, maybe they did, I don't know," said Sebastian.
So what's next?
According to Vivacqua, the legal answer is the schools would have to wait a year and a day before doing anything.
But, Ilion Superintendent, Cosimo Tangorra says it was Ilion and Mohawk who originally wanted to merge.
He says he plans on contacting Mohawk to see if the board would be interested in merging the two.
Tangorra says if Mohawk agreed, he plans on talking with state elected officials about moving forward quicker than a year.
"There certainly is a special circumstance here. There isn't a history of a three district merger, two schools voting three times in the affirmative, this is certainly an area where it would be understandable where special legislation was sought," said Vivacqua.
And regardless of what might be pursued, all three districts have to start preparing budgets for next year.
"Either they are going to massively cut programs, or propose a very large tax increase or some place in between," said Vivacqua.
District Superintendent, Mark Vivacqua says it's not unusual for a straw vote to be passed, and then rejected in the final binding vote.
And while the vote for the proposed merger is over, reaction from residents is not.
"It's very disappointing, it should have gone through," said Mohawk resident, Del Sebastian.
"I was not surprised at all because a lot of people want to know where are you going to save the money?" said Ilion resident, John Emich.
With Ilion and Mohawk Central School Districts in favor of combining forces, it was was Herkimer who stopped the merger from becoming a reality.
"As far as people showing up, maybe they didn't for the straw vote, maybe they did, I don't know," said Sebastian.
So what's next?
According to Vivacqua, the legal answer is the schools would have to wait a year and a day before doing anything.
But, Ilion Superintendent, Cosimo Tangorra says it was Ilion and Mohawk who originally wanted to merge.
He says he plans on contacting Mohawk to see if the board would be interested in merging the two.
Tangorra says if Mohawk agreed, he plans on talking with state elected officials about moving forward quicker than a year.
"There certainly is a special circumstance here. There isn't a history of a three district merger, two schools voting three times in the affirmative, this is certainly an area where it would be understandable where special legislation was sought," said Vivacqua.
And regardless of what might be pursued, all three districts have to start preparing budgets for next year.
"Either they are going to massively cut programs, or propose a very large tax increase or some place in between," said Vivacqua.
