The North Colonie Central School District this week announced the proposal of an $89.2 million budget for the upcoming school year.
The proposed tax levy for the 2009-2010 budget would result in an estimated 4.6 percent increase.
The budget was first brought before the public on Monday, March 2, when the Board of Education presented an overview that stated the budget reflects only a few minor cuts through attrition, savings made possible through this year’s annexation of the Maplewood School District and a plan for the district to move toward a one-tier tax rate.
Speaking about the one-tier tax system, Superintendent of Schools Randy Ehrenberg said before Monday’s meeting that she hopes the board will approve it when adopting the proposed budget.
Being able to do this makes very good sense, said Ehrenberg.
The advantages of moving from the district’s current two-tier tax rate to a one-tier system are great, Ehrenberg said. For one, residential property owners would see a smaller rate increase than commercial property owners, as the gap between the two rates would be eliminated. Another benefit of moving to a one-tier tax rate is that it is easier to explain the tax rate to the public, as there is only one rate and one percentage of increase to explain.
Board of Education President Joan Hart said the district has had the two-tier tax rate for 10 years, and has been `working at all angles` to provide a break for residential taxpayers in the district.
The one potential disadvantage of moving to a one-tier tax rate is that if the district chooses to go back to a two-tier tax rate, the process becomes difficult, and would essentially only be possible should the Town of Colonie undergo a complete reassessment of all the properties in the town — something town officials have indicated is not being planned in the near future.
According to Ehrenberg, the reason the district has not moved forward with a one-tier tax rate before is that officials originally thought the town would have needed to be involved, which it does not.
Last year’s budget passed at $88.5 million, representing a 3.76 percent tax levy increase. More than 2,300 voters came out to support the district’s budget in May.
Ehrenberg said that North Colonie is `not going to have cuts to the magnitude of other districts,` and that the only personnel cuts will be made through attrition, by not filling the positions left vacant when someone retires or leaves the district. Ehrenberg said this is possible because of the strong `fiscal management` the district has practiced for the past 30 years.
Ehrenberg also said there will be no new programs brought into the district this year, and that the only foreseeable thing being curtailed will be athletic contests, and that is primarily due to other districts canceling tournaments and games to cut spending.
Ehrenberg said the district still plans to move forward with replacing playground equipment, and that several projects in the district that are continuing to move forward were made possible through federal money the district received for annexing the Maplewood School District in July.
Hart said it should be no surprise to the taxpayers that the district is not facing some of the extreme cuts other districts are facing.
`The taxpayers know we’ve always been fiscally responsible,` she said.
Hart also said she is pleased at the successful annexation and how it has helped the district remain in a fiscally sound position.
The Board of Education will be hosting several budget committee meetings in the month of March: Thursday, March 11; Monday, March 16; and Thursday, March 18. All of the meetings will be held at the Shaker High School Counseling Center at 7:30 p.m.“