School budgets face May 20 vote

Voters will decide on a $28 million budget in the Webutuck School District on Tuesday, May 20.
Archive photo
Voters will decide on a $28 million budget in the Webutuck School District on Tuesday, May 20.
Voters across three school districts will decide on higher spending plans for the coming school year on Tuesday, May 20.
Webutuck Central School District, Millbrook Central School District and Pine Plains Central School District all propose higher K-12 budgets for the 2025-2026 school year.
Voters will cast votes on the proposed budgets on May 20 from noon to 9 p.m.
The proposed budget for Webutuck, with an enrollment of 637 students from K-12, shows a 5.96% increase from the previous year to $28,665,850. Voters also will be asked to approve a $249,190 expense for a new school bus and two transportation vans.
In Millbrook, which enrolled 750 students in the 2023-24 school year, according to the state Education Department, a draft budget posted on the school district’s website calls for a 3.11% increase to $35,649,651.
Pine Plains proposes spending $38,712,336, an increase of 2.71%.
Proposed tax levies to support the budget also all show increases: Webutuck, up 5.27%; Millbrook, up 2.61%; and Pine Plains, up 3.2%.
On May 20, voters also will decide on candidates for Board vacancies.
At Webutuck, Nichole Reyes and Anthony Robustelli, both incumbents, will be on the ballot for new terms.
In Millbrook, Perry Hartswick, current Board of Education president, is running for another term. Jennifer Carnecchia and Dena Ghobashy also are running as incumbents.
In Pine Plains, two incumbents are running for new three-year terms: Board President Amie Fredericks and Fred “Chip” Couse.
Habitat for Humanity assisted in the construction and sale of this house at 14 Rudd Pond Road for $392,000.
MILLERTON — Official Dutchess County property transfers for the four months ending in May are fascinating from the sale of the former Presbyterian Church on Main Street for $420,000 to the $300,000 sale of 8.3 acres of the historic Perotti farm for $300,000 where major barn restoration is now underway.
Actively listed properties at the end of July include 14 parcels of land ranging in price from $60,000 for a five-acre lot to six parcels over a million dollars. 15 single family homes are on the market including an $11,750,000 estate on Moadock Road and four village homes for under $500,000.
Residential
14 Rudd Pond Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .64 acres sale recorded in March for $392,000 to Anthony M. Macagnone.
81 Rudd Pond Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .45 acres recorded in April for $360,300 to Sara Whitney Laser.
926 Smithfield Road — Historic house and barns on 8.31 acres sale recorded in May for $300,000 to Colonial House & Barn LLC.
5408 Route 22 — 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 5.38 acres sale recorded in May for $465,000 to Erich McEnroe.
The former Presbyterian Church on Main Street in the Village of Millerton was purchased in May for $420,000 and then pained grey.Christine Bates
Commercial
1 Smith Court, Village of Millerton — Office building sale recorded in March for $825,000 to OneJohnStreet LLC.
58 Main Street, Village of Millerton — Sale of former church recorded in May for $420,000 to 58 Main Street LLC.
5546 Route 22 — Sale of former restaurant on 2 acres recorded in May for $70,000 to Haithem Oueslati Trustee.
Land
State Line Road (#789358) — Sale recorded of 20.82 acres of vacant residential land in March for $150,000 to Elliott Squared LLC.
148 Morse Hill — Sale recorded of 30.03 acres of vacant productive farm land in 5 parcels in March for $800,000 to Thorne Water LLC.
*Town of North East and Village of Millerton property transfers from March through May not previously reported as sales in The Millerton News are sourced from Dutchess County Real Property Office monthly reports for March through May. Details on property from Dutchess Parcel Access. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Advisor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in Connecticut and New York.
MILLERTON — Heavy rain brought down trees on Park Avenue, South Center Street and Century Boulevard, causing blackouts across the village on Friday, July 25.
The Millerton Moviehouse cancelled film showings for the afternoon following the outages, as stated in a release sent out to Moviehouse supporters over email Friday afternoon.
Village Clerk Lisa Cope said the downed trees landed on power lines, causing localized blackouts for many village residents and businesses between 3 and 6 p.m. Friday evening.
Central Hudson crews cleared the trees and restored power to the village that evening.