Lester victor in Long Beach school board election

Former three-term Trustee Roy Lester racked up the most votes in the Board of Education election on Tuesday for the lone contested seat, and residents gave a thumbs up to the school district’s budget.

Lester received 1,677 votes to win a fourth term on the board. Board President Lynn Gergen, who sought a second three-year term, collected 1,514 votes.
By an official count of 1,804 votes to 1,394, residents approved the district’s $116.5 million 2010-11 budget. It is $2 million larger than the current spending plan. The new budget increases spending 1.6 percent and increases the tax levy by 1.9 percent.

Residents also passed a referendum earmarking $2 million to be used for the repair and upgrade of the high school pool’s disinfection and filtration system, and for the remaining reconstruction work on the middle school roof. Neither were covered by the district’s preservation plan, which is a multi-year blueprint for restoring and upgrading district buildings that was passed last year. There were 2,115 “yes” votes, and 1,017 voted “no” on the capital projects.

Voters also supported the Long Beach Public Library’s $3.2 million 2010-11 budget, by a razor-thin margin, 1,946 to 1,192. The budget is 1.8 percent larger than the current spending plan.

Library Trustee Kathleen Dwyer, who ran uncontested for a second term on the library board, had 2,048 votes.

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