S-G tax rate hike reduced by board
By MICHAEL LAMENDOLA
Gazette Reporter
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SCOTIA - Scotia-Glenville school officials have used restored state aid and excess money budgeted toward retirement to reduce the projected tax rate increase to 9 percent.
District residents will vote on the $35.4 million budget from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 3. They will also consider a $316,678 referendum to purchase six school buses and two maintenance vehicles and elect two board members.
The district's 2003-04 budget carries a spending increase of $1.8 million, or 5.4 percent, over the current budget.
If the budget is approved, the tax rate will increase $2.13 to $26.14 per thousand of assessed valuation. A resident with a home assessed at $100,000 will pay $213 more in taxes.
Robert Hanlon, district spokesman, said the district applied all of the education aid it received from the state Legislature toward reducing the tax rate. The district received $490,000, or approximately 50 percent of what was cut under Gov. George Pataki's budget.
"We didn't get back everything. A lot of school districts got back 70 percent to 80 percent of the aid the governor cut," Hanlon said.
The district also applied $219,000 that had been budgeted toward retirement costs for reducing the tax levy. The district had budgeted 11 percent of payroll in payments to the state Employee Retirement System.
The district was left with a surplus after the state Legislature approved a measure to fix those costs at 4.5 percent of payroll for the coming year.
Hanlon said the Legislature acted after the district had filed its budget with the state Education Department on May 14. He said the district could not modify its budget to reflect the $219,000 reduction. Instead, the district will not collect the $219,000 in taxes.
Hanlon said the district needs to replace buses in its fleet that are safety hazards. The district is eligible to receive 65 percent state aid on the bus purchases. The aid would arrive in the 2004-05 school year. The maintenance vehicles are not eligible for state aid.
If the vehicle referendum fails, the district will have to contract for five buses with a private company, Hanlon said. This contract would cost an estimated $190,000 annually.
Board races
Incumbents Karen Bradley and John Carpenter are each seeking a fourth three-year term on the seven-member board. Jerry Moore is the third candidate. The top two vote-getters will take seats on the board.
Bradley, of 204 Wren St., served as board president from 1996-99. She has been a district resident for 21 years.
Carpenter, of 210 First St., served three years as president of the board from 1999 to 2002 and was vice president for two years from 1996 to 1998. He has been a district resident for 31 years.
Moore, of 122 Jay St., works at home and cares for his disabled father. He is a human rights commissioner for Schenectady County and co-chair of the county Jail Oversight Committee. He is a 12-year district resident.
The board reduced the initial budget by $1 million, which resulted in the elimination of five K-5 teacher jobs, one grade 6 teacher job and 81Ú2 positions in the cleaning staff.
If residents twice reject the district's budget, the board would have to adopt a contingency plan.