MANVILLE: Budget falls

   Manville voters turned down the proposed $19 million school budget Tuesday, while returning Ned Panfile and Andrew Zangara — and adding Cathy Wiedwald — to the Board of Education.
   With 12.8 percent of registered voters casting ballots, the budget failed by a 353-283 margin. The budget will go to the Borough Council, where council members can recommend cuts.
 "I don’t really have any comments at the moment, I’m just glad the town supported me in this endeavor to get back on the board," Mr. Zanagara said. "I understand that the budget went down, so now we have more work we have to do."
   "I’m happy for that (being re-elected), so I can complete the work I started with the new super coming, and with making sure the super’s ideas are geared toward the school district," Mr. Panfile said. "The budget with only a $9 a month increase — I’m very disappointed with that. I don’t know what the reasoning is with defeating a budget with a $9 a month increase."
   The proposed budget would have raised the school portion of local property tax bills for owners of property assessed at the borough average of $300,000 by about $96 per year, from $3,165 to $3,261.
   Mr. Panfile was re-elected to his third consecutive term, easily outpacing the other candidates with 503 votes. Ms. Wiedwald received 401 votes in her first bid for the board, and Mr. Zangara received 390 for re-election to his second, consecutive term. The three members will serve three-year terms.
   Sharon Lukac received 324 votes in her first bid for a board seat.