MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. — Mount Vernon voters approved the revised $275,542,563 budget for the Mount Vernon City School District’s 2026-27 school year on Tuesday, allowing the district to avoid a contingency budget and move forward with its educational and operational priorities. The spending plan passed by a narrow margin, 1,161 to 1,075, with voter turnout surpassing that of the initial budget vote held in May.
The approval came less than a month after voters rejected the district’s original $276.2 million budget proposal on May 19. Following that defeat, district officials reviewed their options, revised the spending plan, and returned to voters with a reduced budget that preserved student programs and services while lowering the proposed tax levy increase. The revised proposal was placed before voters in a June 16 revote and ultimately earned community approval.
Support for the budget was strongest at most voting locations across the city, with the proposal carrying every school except Pennington School. Voters at the Northside polling site overwhelmingly rejected the budget by a margin of 314 to 130. Meanwhile, voting at the city’s other Northside location, Lincoln Elementary School, resulted in a rare deadlock, with 239 votes in favor and 239 votes against the spending plan.
The votes in favor were +55 (1098- 1043), and then the last 97 absentee votes had to be counted. They came in 59 for to 32 against. The total count was 1161 in favor to 1075 against.
The approved spending plan includes a 1.50% tax levy increase and is funded through a combination of property taxes, state and federal aid, and other local revenue sources. The revised budget was developed after voters rejected the district’s original proposal, which carried a 1.99% tax levy increase.
District officials said in a statement that they “reduced the budget following the initial defeat while working to preserve student programs and services. Approval of the revised budget allows the district to avoid a contingency budget, which would have required deeper spending reductions and could have negatively impacted educational opportunities for students.”
Superintendent Dr. Demario Strickland thanked residents for their support and participation in the process.
“We appreciate every voter who took the time to make their voice heard. This budget reflects an investment in the students of Mount Vernon and helps ensure that our schools can continue providing the opportunities and resources our children deserve,” Dr. Strickland shared with Black Westchester.
In the weeks leading up to the heavily publicized revote, supporters and opponents of the budget waged an aggressive public campaign, flooding social media with posts, distributing email blasts and palm cards, producing videos, granting interviews, and publishing opinion pieces. Adding to the confusion, a group of Mount Vernon residents filed a complaint alleging that the Mount Vernon City School District had improperly campaigned in favor of the budget. Amid the competing narratives and allegations, many residents were left unsure of what information to trust.
Kathie Brewington, President of the Mount Vernon NAACP Branch #2161, who advocated for the passing of the budget, also thanked voters and members of the Mount Vernon branch.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the members of the Mount Vernon NAACP for your dedication, commitment, and unwavering support of the children of our community. Your willingness to stand up, speak out, and advocate for quality education demonstrates the true spirit of service. To everyone who took the time to vote, thank you for putting our children first. Regardless of the outcome, your participation shows that you care about the future of Mount Vernon and the opportunities available to our young people. Our children deserve a community that believes in them, invests in them, and fights for their success. Thank you for making your voice heard and for helping to shape a brighter future for the next generation. Together, we stand for our children, our schools, and our community,” Mrs. Brewington shared with Black Westchester.
Not everyone was pleased with the budget passing. We reached out to a few of those in opposition to the budget for feedback on the budget passing, but we were unable to get quotes before publishing.
