Voters off to polls next Tuesday

      Rockville Centre-s proposed school budget of $71.3 million, is 7.3 percent higher than last year-s budget of $66.5 million. School officials blame much of the increase on retirement, social security and health insurance jumps. Health insurance costs alone went up $1.2 million, 16 percent from last year.
      If the budget is approved by voters, the tax levy will jump 8.96 percent. Because state law makers have failed to pass a budget, school officials say no tax rate numbers are available.
      Oceanside-s proposed school budget of $99.4 million represents a 8.6 percent increase above the current $91.4 million budget. School officials said the increase is largely the result of startup costs for a $31 million bond issue passed in January 2003 to fund a district-wide capital improvement project.
      Some $2.5 million from this bond issue will be added to the budget this year. Other areas of the budget-s greatest increases are salaries, which are up by $2.7 million, health insurance, by $138,523, and contributions to employee retirement, by $35,694. Costs for special-education transportation, tuitions and utilities are also up several thousand dollars.
      The Rockville Centre Public Library-s proposed $2.45 million budget calls for a 3.4 percent increase over the operating expenses of last year and a tax levy increase of 3.6 percent.
      The proposed spending plan for the Oceanside library is $3.5 million, an increase of almost $300,000 above the current budget.
      In the Rockville Centre school board elections, incumbent Meg Koch is running unopposed for a forth term. In Oceanside, incumbents Robert Transom and Maryann Lehrer are also unopposed.
      April Wexler is running unopposed for the Rockville Centre Library Board, after a challenger dropped out of the race. Wexler, who is seeking her first term, has been an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board for 17 years. She earned her bachelor-s degree at Colgate University and her law degree from New York Law School.
      Florence Mensch and Ellen Sullivan who were elected to fill seats on the Oceanside Library-s Board of Trustees vacated by incumbents who moved from the voting district in 2002 and 2003 were elected to five-year terms on April 27.