In what appears to be a ringing endorsement of the overall direction of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and its Administration, voters from the Township and the Borough cast their lots overwhelmingly in favor of the school budget.
 |
| Mathur and Lerner, upon learning of the final vote tally. (Photo/R.Bergeron) |
Out of a total of 5,473 votes cast, the budget easily raced past the finish line by a margin of 893, with all voting districts in favor, including absentee ballots.
Bridgewater incumbents Arvind Mathur and Evan Lerner also won over contenders Barbara Kane, Lisa Giranda and Elizabeth Eisenger Lande. Al Smith, a nine-year veteran representing Raritan, lost to newcomer Ann Marie Mead.
The margins of victory were not slim. Mead won overwhelmingly by more than 2 to 1, while Lerner and Mathur garnered 2178 and 2092 votes, respectively. Barbara Kane placed third with 1642, while Lisa Giranda was next with 1,366. Elizabeth Eisenger Lande, an active Bridgewater mom, yet a newcomer to the political scene, did well with 1,140 votes.
One of the prominent background issues of this election was the role, if any, of the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association which did not formally endorse any candidates. Contract negotiations with that group, as well as with the principals’ and supervisors’ unions have been stalled for some time.
The B-R BOE is thought to have taken a firm position with each of the three, and the budget approved Wednesday evening appears to leave little wriggle room. To date, neither side has released information to the public about specific offers/counteroffers.
No comments:
Post a Comment