Highlights from the March 20 Edition
CCS Facing Budget Deficit and Alarming Increases for 2025-26 School Year
CAMBRIDGE – Cambridge Central School is facing an unanticipated reduction in New York State school aid, resulting in a shortfall of approximately $150,000 for the current school year. Interim Superintendent Vince Canini and Business Manager Michele Hogan discussed the budget deficit with THE EAGLE on Monday.
STATE AID AND INCREASES
In addition to the unexpected state aid shortfall, huge increases in the costs to provide employees with health insurance, along with special education out-of-district placements, will negatively impact the proposed 2025-26 budget.
According to Hogan, the cost for health insurance rose by approximately $700,000 this year. Health insurance costs are expected to increase by another $650,000 for next school year.
Seven new special education placements outside the district are recommended for 2025-26. These placements occur when the district is unable to provide recommended services to students who live in the district. Typically, the district budgets for any students whose placement is changing and adds two spots (beyond what is recommended) in the event new students with special needs move into the district over the summer or during the school year.
Overall, the projected nine new out-of-district placements will increase special ed costs substantially for 2025-26. According to Hogan, the district plans to budget approximately $3.5 million for special education costs, an increase of 33%, or about $900,000. Most of that increase is represented by the new out-of-district placements.
BUDGET TO EXCEED CAP
When asked how the shortfall and increases will impact the proposed budget, Canini stated the district will have to go out to the voters with a package that exceeds the 3.18% state tax cap. He said if nothing changes and no cuts are made, the budget increase would be above 20%. To pass a budget that exceeds the tax cap, the district needs approval from a “supermajority” of voters, or 60%.
CAPITAL PROJECT
The district’s capital project is funded separately from the budget. Canini stated that the budget issues should not impact the project. He added, however, that the new federal tariffs and trade negotiations may result in higher bids and construction delays.
SPECIAL MEETING
The district is currently working on a plan to reduce the budget. Options range from layoffs and program cuts to union concessions. Union representatives were made aware of the problem this week.
The Board will hold a special meeting on the proposed budget on March 27 at 6 p.m. at Cambridge Central School. The meeting is open to the public.
BUDGET VOTE
Voters will come to the polls to cast their ballots for or against the budget on May 20.
Sweeney Elected Mayor of Cambridge
CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. — In the village elections held on March 18, 2025, James W. Sweeney was elected mayor with 148 votes. Sweeney, who previously served as a trustee on the village board, succeeds Carman Bogle, who chose not to seek re-election after a decade in office.
In the trustee race, incumbent Cassandra Weisburgh secured re-election with 123 votes. Tim Kavanaugh won the second trustee seat with 88 votes, and Dennis Short received 72 votes. Notably, Kavanaugh and Short were write-in candidates, as Weisburgh was the only individual to file an official petition to appear on the ballot.
Incumbent Carl R. Flint was re-elected as village justice with 155 votes.
These results are preliminary and await official certification.
Hoosick Falls Elects Schuttig as Mayor; O’Malley and Ryan as Trustees
HOOSICK FALLS - The Village of Hoosick Falls has elected Dan Schuttig as its new mayor in a closely contested race. Schuttig, who was previously a trustee, won with 268 votes, narrowly defeating fellow trustee Doug Sauer, who received 249 votes. The election comes as outgoing Mayor Rob Allen chose not to seek re-election.
In addition to the mayoral race, three trustee seats were also up for election. Kevin O’Malley secured the most votes with 436, followed by Robert Ryan with 390 and Todd Burdick with 383. With these results, the village board will see a mix of familiar and new leadership as it moves forward.
Gottry Named Grand Marshal of 2025 Memorial Day Parade
The American Legion Post 634, American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion annually sponsor and organize the Memorial Day Parade in Cambridge, New York. The Grand Marhsall for the 2025 edition is local Village Historian Ken Gottry.
Ken was born in Mary McClellan Hospital in 1950. While at CCS, he played basketball and baseball and was a co-captain of Bob Cheney’s first soccer team. After graduating as valedictorian, he attended Hamilton College majoring in math and economics. He married his high school sweetheart, Cindy Moses.
After college, Ken taught math and coached at a small school south of Syracuse. There Ken and Cindy raised their two daughters, Sarah and Kate. Ken is proud that he raised two independent daughters will lamenting the fact that led them to be able to live 3000 miles away in Seattle.
Ken entered the computer programming field in Syracuse 50 years ago. Eventually he became a traveling computer consultant which allowed Cindy and him to return home. As long as he was near an airport, his company didn’t care where he lived.
After his mom passed away in 1998, Ken and Cindy restored the red brick house on East Main that Ken grew up in. Although he was away from Cambridge for 30 years, he still heard people call out “hello, Kenny” as he walked down the street, indicating they’ve known him since kindergarten.
Ken’s dad was a local historian, and his mother was a news reporter. When he set about restoring the family home, he found 30 boxes of family and village history tucked away in the attic. He was hooked. Since then, his history collection has grown to over 120 boxes. He regularly shares photos and stories online and in history lectures. He has published three books.
Ken continues his career as a computer consultant, though no longer required to travel. His area of expertise is large system performance at Mastercard. Ken makes sure that every time you swipe your credit card anywhere in the world, the transaction is checked by hundreds of rules for fraud before replying “approved” in a matter of seconds.
It takes a lot to catch Ken unawares, but that’s exactly what happened when he was asked to be Grand Marshall. Ken appreciates the history of our community and the people who have given so much to defend and support it. He is proud of his small contributions to keeping that history alive and sharing it with the next generation.
As Ken passes by in the Grand Marshall car, be sure to wave and holler “hello, Kenny”.
The annual Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Monday May 26, 2025. The parade kicks off from Academy Street at 10am and finishes at Cambridge Central School. Interested groups please contact parade organizer Jimmy Griffith at 315-269-5370.