Schools
Chappaqua School Board Sends Budget to the Voters
The proposed budget includes 12.39 job cuts, a tax levy hike of 2.06 percent, and tax rate hikes of 2.25 percent for New Castle and 2.71 percent for Mount Pleasant.
Chappaqua's school board voted unanimously on Wednesday night to adopt a 2013-14 budget, which means that it's ready to be put up for a public referendum next month.
The budget calls for an increase in the tax levy, the amount of total tax revenue to be collected, by 2.06 percent, to $103,110,993. The tax rates, which represent the amount that people owe per $1,000 of assessed property value, are projected to rise by 2.25 percent for New Castle and 2.71 for Mount Pleasant. The gap in the tax rates is due to a formula called the equalization rate, which is used to apportion the levy between the towns and to reconcile the fact that the municipalities assess properties at different percentages of market value.
The tax levy technically stays within a state-mandated cap, which is the lesser of 2 percent or the inflation rate, because of exemptions such as some pension costs. Tax rates are not subject to being capped.
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The proposed budget, which appropriates $114,828,088, will have a spending increase of 2.34 percent. It will also have 12.39 job cuts. John Chow, the district's assistant superintendent for business, gave several factors for the cuts, including enrollment changes, special education caseload and a new elementary school schedule.
Superintendent Lyn McKay laid out both the good and bad news in the budget. The bad news includes a continued rise in employee pension contributions, but the good news includes signing new contracts with three employee unions - they are for teachers, administrators and custodial staff - the elementary schedule schange and the special education caseload, the later of which involves fewer out-of-district placements.
Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The budget was also helped by an increase in state aid, which is rising by $344,765.
Board member Jeffrey Mester was concerned that the items that helped this year's budget may not be sustainable, noting the soaring cost of benefits. Chow responded by agreeing, although he discussed possible improvements further in the future. They include a posible pension contribution drop because a stronger stock market performance mitigates the requirement, and the potential for a stronger housing market. Both of these factors would help in reigning in taxes.
Public comment was relatively short, with one person, Judy McGrath, speak. McGrath, who is part of the Best4NY group that advocates relief for local governemnts from state mandates, called to giving an historical analysis of the district's budgeting. School board President Victoria Tipp responded with interest in the idea.
The budget will be up for a public vote on May 21 and approval is required for it to take effect. If the budget is rejected, then the district can either schedule another vote - the second try change include a changed proposal - or opt for a contigency budget. If a budget is rejected on the second vote, then the contigency becomes the default. A contigency budget, however, means that the tax levy cannot increase at all, which would present a tougher fiscal picture for the district.
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