School Budget Passes with 67.5 Percent

The ' 2012-13 school budget has passed with 67.5 percent of the vote.

incumbents Thomas Belding, Al Burgunder and Lata Kenney were each re-elected to their seats, closing an unopposed election. Belding will represent , and Burgunder and Kenney , for another three years.

Twenty-three township residents cast mail-in ballots, 22 in favor of the budget and one against. Kenney earned 18 mail-in votes and Burgunder earned 15.

There are a total of 13,387 registered voters in the Chathams, 5,862 in the borough and 7,525 in the township.

Turnout was uncharacteristically low. Assistant Superintendent Michael LaSusa said the district "will analyze turn-out post-election, and see if there is anything we can glean from the numbers."

Tom Belding said he was "pleased" and "appreciative of the voters from both municipalities, and we're pleased that everybody who wanted to vote had the opportunity to do, on either side of the budget."

LaSusa said, "We believe this budget will sustain an outstanding academic and extracurricular program."