With a resounding voice, Clifton’s voters rejected a school budget, a referrendum to renovate the high school stadium and install synthetic turf and a long time incumbent Board of Education commissioner. Voters did elect two newcomers, Paul Graupe and Louis Froulo.

Incumbent Commissioner John Traier came in third, trailing Fraulo by approximately 450 votes. Marie Hakim, a board member for 18 years and the outgoing board president was not returned to office. Paul Graupe, a former member of Clifton’s Board of Adjustment and one of the commissioners who voted against the proposed school at 290 Brighton Road came in first. Many interpeted this as a commentary from the public on Graupe’s position on the 290 project.

Louis Fraulo, a retired Clifton Board of Education Administrator and newcomer to the political arena finished second.

In spite of items such as new lockers for students and new band uniforms that would ordinarily make the school levy more palatable, the voters chose to defeat the budget by a two thirds margin. With the recent wave of controversy over the use of synthetic turf on high school playing fields, as a result of elevated lead content in the pigment used in the manufacture of the turf, The results for the $35 million dollar referrendum for synthetic turf were stronger with almost 75% of the voters saying no to that initiative.

Voters clearly indicated through their actions that they were not particurlarly happy with the budget, the turf proposal or the incumbent commissioners.

The next step in the School Budget process is a review and vote by the Clifton City Council as to whether the budget stays or is reduced.