BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

NORWOOD — District residents will vote on school budgets and board members via mail this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Norwood-Norfolk Central School’s spending plan includes no increase to the tax levy for the second year in a row, according to Jamie Cruikshank, superintendent.

NNCS school board recently approved a final spending plan of $24,574,114. The district tax cap is 2.32%.

Cruikshank hopes to avoid eliminating any positions.

School budget and school board election votes will be conducted by mail and all qualified voters will be sent an absentee ballot with return postage paid, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“When we receive an absentee ballot it is not opened, but it is checked against the list of recipients to ensure the person returning the ballot is a district resident,” Cruikshank said. “This is why an absentee ballot envelope is signed. Then, on June 9, after 5 p.m., each envelope is opened and the ballot is removed, but not unfolded.”

He said the ballot is immediately placed into a ballot box and the envelope is discarded.  Once all the folded ballots are in the ballot box, they are removed and each vote counted.  “This process ensures that a resident's voting choice is not known to any of the voting tellers or inspectors,” Cruikshank said.

NNCS has three 3-year seats and one 1-year seat open this year.

There are two incumbents running, Robert Barlow and Jonathan Hunkins. There will be three newcomers vying for votes. They are Marela Fiacco, Amy Lacroix, and Richelle Reid.

Voters will also be asked to approve a bus resolution to keep the district on its replacement schedule.

The separate proposition calls for the purchase of three school buses at a total cost of up to $275,000.

 Help keep St. Lawrence County informed
Until now, advertising has provided the income to pay our news staff. But with a cutback in advertising due to the COVID-19 crisis, our ability to continue free news coverage is threatened.  Please donate to NorthCountryNow.com and North Country This Week so we can keep St. Lawrence County informed.  Thank you.