Pine Plains School budget to go back for revote


 


PINE PLAINS — Despite voters soundly defeating the proposed district budget for 2008-09 last week, the Board of Education decided Wednesday to put the exact same budget out to vote once again.

"There will be no changes to the proposed budget at all," board vice-president Bruce Kimball said. "The board felt that there is no other place where we cut anything else. If anything, we are looking at the possibility of fuel prices going up. So it would be foolish to cut anything out."

On Tuesday, May 20, 506 district residents voted against the budget while 315 voted for it.

The budget, if it is approved, will be $25,888,000, an estimated 5.47-percent increase from this year’s budget.

The district tentatively estimates a 10.76-percent tax increase for district residents.

"I was definitely disappointed with the results of the voting," Kimball said. "I’m guessing that people did not understand the facts. Hopefully we will have another opportunity to explain things to them at our budget hearing."

Kimball said the board will hold another budget hearing Wednesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at Stissing Mountain Middle/High School.

If the budget fails for the second time, Kimball said the board would have to follow state law, leaving them with no choice but to go with a contingency budget.

"Under a contingency budget, it would limit everything to a 3.29-percent increase from last year’s budget," Kimball said. "This would mean we would have to eliminate two new bus purchases in the budget, we would have to eliminate all proposed equipment purchases — which includes any new computers for classrooms, equipment for athletic teams — and we would have to charge any outside organization to use our school buildings, including the Boy and Girl Scouts and PTA."

In addition, he said the board would also have to find $70,000 more in cuts.

"We don’t have any choice in the matter," he said. "I hope people will come out to the budget presentation and ask questions and get the facts before they vote."

The second round of budget voting will be Tuesday, June 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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