BOE works toward budget public hearings

PINE PLAINS — Budget updates continued at the Board of Education meeting Wednesday, April 15. District Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer said the administration is “getting to the end of the process,� and at the board meeting she outlined the latest draft as compared to the draft presented on April 1.

The total budget-to-budget increase is now 3.876 percent, down from 3.91, which was given at the last meeting.

The true value tax rate under the new budget would be $9.68 per $1,000 of assessed value, equaling a tax-levy increase of 5.97 percent.

The current budget is approximately $20,000 less than the austerity budget cap that the district would be forced to work under if this budget is voted down. However, as Kaumeyer pointed out, even though the budget would technically go up, under an austerity budget the district would not be able to purchase any equipment. It would also have to charge for use of its buildings, whether community-based or extracurricular, if scheduled during regular school hours (except when there is not a cost to the district for the usage).

There were two board discussions following Kaumeyer’s presentation. First, the board voted unanimously to cut the 5 p.m. bus on Fridays (the bus is not available this year but was to be offered for the 2009-10 school year), which will save $19,000. That money will be used to offset proposed cuts to the materials and supplies line.

The other discussion concerned the district’s appropriated fund balance. Board President Helene McQuade was in favor of keeping the balance at $1 million, which would lower the tax levy to 4.81 percent.

In the current draft of the budget, the fund balance is $800,000. BOE Vice President Bruce Kimball said he was concerned that if they raised the balance to $1 million, and ended up facing tougher times next year, the board would be in a bad position.

The exact fund balance is unknown, pending the final audit report in August. Kimball said keeping the balance at $800,000 would put the district in a better position. If the balance ended up being more, then taxpayers would only have to pay less than what they originally voted on.

The board voted 4-3 to keep the fund balance at $800,000.

A special board meeting was held  Tuesday, April 21, after this paper’s press deadline. It was the final board meeting for the board to adopt the budget before the public hearing on May 6. The public will vote on the budget, as well as a separate proposal to purchase six new buses, on May 16.