f Education has started the budget process extra early this year in an effort to bring information to the public sooner in order to persuade residents to pass the 2009-2010 budget despite some negative feelings among the district’s tax base.
Board President Tim Ryan announced the beginning of the budget season at a Tuesday, Jan. 6, meeting.
It’s going to be a tough budget year, Ryan said, before explaining to the small crowd and board members that the district is hoping to encourage the public to get more involved in this year’s budget, as the district examines it line by line.
`We really do want people to participate in this,` he said.
The first budget discussion meeting took place Tuesday, Jan. 14, at the district’s office, and covered a range of topics, including transportation.
One of the reasons for the early discussions is the defeated October press box vote. In the election, the district had hoped to get taxpayer approval to construct a new press box on the athletic field of Colonie Central High School to replace the existing 40-year-old structure, which did not meet fire and safety regulations when inspected this fall.
The box was given an extension of its use until Nov. 22, and can now no longer be used.
A new box would have cost $149,600, however the funding for the project came from money set aside in last year’s budget and would not have cost the taxpayers any money.
But the initiative to build the new box was rejected in a 929-to-805 vote.
According to Ryan, the proposal received the fewest votes at Veeder Elementary School, which lies within the town lines of Niskayuna.
In September, Niskayuna residents who live within the borders of the South Colonie Central School District were shocked to see their school tax bills amounting to hundreds of dollars more than they had expected and had seen last year.
According to board member Neil Johanning, the board, which had projected an estimated tax rate last May when residents went to the polls to vote on the 2008-2009 budget, could not have foreseen the factors that resulted in the Niskayuna taxpayers’ bills to be higher than expected. Those factors included a large number of tax certiorari lawsuits being won by many businesses in the school district’s boundaries and the difference in home assessment percentages between homes in Colonie and homes in Niskayuna.
`So, because we heard a little backlash with that, we think that’s one of the reasons the press box [vote] went down,` Johanning said.
Another reason the district is beginning the budget process early includes the recent vacancy of Board Member Vernon Fonda’s seat. Fonda resigned from his position in December, citing personal reasons.
For weeks, the board met to discuss the options for what to do with Fonda’s position. Johanning said the options came down to the following: appoint someone to fill Fonda’s seat, hold an election to fill Fonda’s seat, or leave the seat vacant until Fonda’s term expires on June 30, dropping the board from that of nine members to eight.
Johanning said for as long as he has been on the board, for three years, he has not heard of the district ever having a board with only eight members. His own position on the board was secured after he was appointed by Ryan when a former board member died.
Ryan said that while the board was not leaning in favor of one option as of Tuesday, Jan. 6, an election could cost the district a lot of money.
The board’s final decision on Fonda’s seat was not available at press time.
Johanning said the board encourages the public to attend all budget meetings, especially the two question-and-answer sessions new to the district’s budget process this year taking place at Veeder Elementary School on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. and at Shaker Road Elementary School on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m.
For a full version of the district’s budget calendar, visit the district’s Web site at www.southcolonieschools.org.
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