Voters in Clementon reject $13.5 million bond referendum; $76M Cinnaminson proposal too close to call
A school bond referendum was defeated handily in Clementon on Tuesday. Results of a bigger referendum in Cinnaminson were not yet available the next day.
Voters in Clementon this week overwhelmingly rejected a $13.5 million school bond question that would have raised property taxes, while a $76 million referendum in Cinnaminson was too close to call.
If approved, the bond would have been used to build an early childhood center for preschoolers. The measure, according to officials, would have added about $243 annually to the tax bill for a home assessed at the borough average of $115,178.
Meanwhile, the outcome of Tuesday’s special election in Cinnaminson — the largest bond referendum in the district’s history — was too close to call, Burlington County election officials said.
Preliminary results indicate the school bond referendum appears to be heading for defeat, officials said. There were 1,632 votes against the proposal, and 1,610 in favor with mail ballots and provisional ballots still being verified and counted, elections officials said. A final count is expected at the end of the month.
The Cinnaminson proposal, which includes two questions, would add about $560 annually on a home assessed at the township average of $236,538, according to officials. The funds would be used for improvement projects, classroom additions, HVAC upgrades, new water fountains and renovated bathrooms.
The first question had to pass for voters to consider a second question. However, the second question was defeated, 1808-1491.
Cinnaminson Township Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Cappello has said the district would regroup and figure out next steps if voters rejected the bond questions. Taxpayers are still paying down a 2014 referendum that added about $238 annually to local property taxes.
“The election numbers and the voter response will ultimately drive whether the Board seeks a future referendum,” Cappello said in a statement.
Tuesday was one of five times during the year that school boards may ask voters to approve a bond issue or special question. They are typically used to pay for projects districts cannot readily fund through their annual general operating budgets.
The next special election is Nov. 3.
