UPDATE: Voter Turnout Steady, But Light

Polls opened at 2 p.m. for the ' 2012-13 budget elections, and through 5 p.m. turnout was steady, but light, with few lines for checking in or voting machines.

Chatham Borough residents vote at , and Chatham Township residents vote at . Polls remain open until 9 p.m.

With uncontested races for the , incumbents , and can be assured of keeping their seats for another three years.

The real question Tuesday is whether the budget will pass. The for all residents of the Chathams. As voters exited the polls, some stopped to tell Chatham Patch their thoughts on the budget. Those who agreed to talk to Patch were universal in their support of the budget.

Amy Crandall, after voting at Chatham Middle School, said, "We're one of the best school districts. I'm so proud of our staff, administrators and teachers."

Other voters, including those without children in the district, said they would support the budget.

Residents of already face a municipal tax increase of seven percent. Because the increase is within allowable exceptions, borough residents do not have the option to vote on their municipal budget as they do the schools.

For borough residents with homes worth $658,500, school taxes will increase by $25.61 monthly, or $307.34 over the year.

The municipal tax levy in will stay flat in 2012 for the second straight year. Township residents with homes worth $747,400 will pay an increase of $10.14 each month and $121.71 annually, to support the school district.

Belding said he hopes borough residents will understand they are not being penalized. "It's simply a reflection of what happens to aggregate property values," Belding said. "There is a risk, because [the school budget] is the only thing that the taxpayers get to vote on."

The board, Belding said, sympathized with those on fixed incomes in the area and hopes borough residents remember former years when township residents carried larger increases to support the schools because of their aggregated assessed values.

"Since the school budget is the only one that can be voted on, it's the only one that can be voted down," Belding said. "Next year I think we'll try to even more explicitly focus on [explaining] what that formula is and how it works."

In 2011, the school district found itself embroiled in a controversial debate during the budget discussions over whether to at and whether to cut the . No such controversial topics have emerged this year, and Belding, the sitting president of the board, said he expects the budget to pass.

"We do hope for a positive result, and it would be very unusual if it were not a positive result," Belding said.

Results are expected by about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.