Four Candidates, Three Seats, April 27

Next Wednesday, voters will go to the polls to elect three out of four candidates vying for a three-year term on the , and vote on the local and regional school budgets. 

Larry Loprete, Susan McGowan and Carolyn Reitz  and Craig Urciuoli are running for three-year terms on the local school board. James Martino is running unopposed for the unexpired two-year term. The school district recently held a candidates night. To learn more about the candidates, watch the videos on the district website or on the borough's two cable channels, Verizon FiOS channel 46 and Cablevision channel 77. 

The K-8 district is presenting a $27.6 million budget to voters, which reflects a 3.1 percent decreased tax levy and will save taxpayers about $350 a year for a home assessed at $1,032,252, the borough's average, according to school officials.  

The Ramapo-Indian Hills district is presenting a $49 million budget to voters, which reflects a 2.83 percent increase in spending and a 0.24 percent decrease to the tax levy. To pass, the budget needs a cumulative majority from the three sending municipalities of Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland. If approved, both Oakland and Franklin Lakes residents will pay about $34 less for the average home, while Wyckoff residents will see a $94 increase. 

There are no Franklin Lakes seats open on the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional Board of Education this election. Three candidates —  Isabelle Lanini, Kenneth A. Porro, and Sabaudin Skenderi — are vying for the one Wyckoff seat being vacated by trustee Jeff Brown, and the two Oakland incumbents — Sadie Quinlan and Jane Castor — are running uncontested for their seats. 

Mail-in ballots are available from the county, but must be applied for in advance.