UPDATED STORY: School Tax Levy Passes, John MacDermant Loses, Regina Foley and Sue Ward Win In Point Borough Board of Education Race

The school tax levy in Point Pleasant Borough passes, one incumbent wins and another loses to a newcomer for two, three-year Board of Education seats.

The tax levy received 1,360 yes votes and 945 no votes, according to the Ocean County clerk's office.

Newcomer Sue Ward won with 1,044 votes, unseating incumbent John MacDermant who received 893 votes.

"I lost," MacDermant said, standing in the conference room of the board office on Wednesday night.

Incumbent Regina Foley won with 1,101 as the top vote-getter.

Foley, who was appointed last year to fill an unexpired term, will now serve her first, full term.

Newcomer James Barber received 348 votes and newcomer Tim Harrison received 247 votes.

The county clerk's web site was reporting on Wednesday night that there were 32 write-in votes and a total of 3,665 votes for candidates.

Harrison's name was on the ballot, but he announced last week he no longer wishes to be on the board, citing his work, graduate studies and family obligations. He says he wants to run at some point in the future.

If the levy was voted down, the school budget would have been sent to the Borough Council. Municipal governing bodies have the option to cut school budgets or to leave them intact.

The tax levy of about $29 million supports a total budget of about $37 million.

The proposed borough budget raises the local school tax rate of 90.89 cents per $100 assessed valuation by 2.43 cents up to 93.32 cents per $100 of assessed value, district officials have said.

That increase means the owner of a borough home assessed at $375,000, which is the borough's average assessment, would pay another $91 in school taxes per year, according to district administrators.

Schools Superintendent Vincent Smith said at the board office, just after results came in Wednesday night, that he believes efforts he and other district officials made this year to explain the budget process and the budget to numerous school, parent and community groups helped make the difference.

"Last year was a more controversial year, with a big cut in state aid, but even last year we got close (to passing)," Smith said.

"This year we told everyone about the process and I think it really paid off," Smith said. "Last year I think there were some misconceptions and some newspaper articles about the tax rate that were untrue.

"But this year we talked to a lot of groups, there was a positive attitude and people listened and asked questions," Smith said.

When asked how he interprets the mixed results of the budget passing, one incumbent losing and another winning, Smith said it's hard to tell what the three results mean as a whole.

"Sue Ward is a good candidate," he said. "She worked for the district as an outside contractor, her family came through the schools, she knows the district. She'll have a lot to offer and I look forward to working with her."

"John MacDermant did a great job over the years," Smith said. "He supported programs, students and staff."