Students turned out in droves to make their voices heard at the Schenectady school board's budget meeting Saturday morning. Bowling team member Joseph Davis, 17, left, and football team member Anthony Goodwin, 16, brought a sign to let the board know their point of view. Photographer: Stacey Lauren-Kennedy
Students turned out in droves to make their voices heard at the Schenectady school board's budget meeting Saturday morning. Bowling team member Joseph Davis, 17, left, and football team member Anthony Goodwin, 16, brought a sign to let the board know their point of view.
SCHENECTADY — With funding for arts, music and sports up in the air, Schenectady schools Superintendent Laurence Spring introduced an idea Saturday that could keep all school programs going — raising taxes as much as 3.69 percent.
Such a move would allow the district to close a now $1.37 million budget gap, and painful cuts such as cutting all co-curricular activities and reducing kindergarten to half-day would be off the table.
Many residents would also be reimbursed with a rebate equal to the tax increase under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently approved tax freeze plan because the increase is within the state tax cap’s limits, Spring told hundreds of people who filled the high school’s commons for a Saturday morning budget workshop.
“One of the things that we have to think about is that any increase in taxes that we levy will be reimbursed to STAR-eligible homeowners, so that’s not everyone, but it’s certainly the majority of people,” he said. “And so, to that end, it is I think to some degree an incentive from the state to tax up to the cap.”
Deep cuts
The so-called “level three” cuts that could be used to balance the Schenectady City School District budget are:
• Reduce full-day kindergarten to half-day — $1.42 million
• Eliminate elementary librarians — $400,000
• Reduce K-6 music — $390,000
• Reduce K-6 art — $417,000 (down from $620,000)
• Reduce K-12 gym class — $400,000
• Eliminate all co-curricular activities, including sports — $630,000
• Reduce middle school technology class — $380,000
• Reduce middle school home economics class — $400,000
• Reduce aides — $180,000
• Close the pool — $60,000
Total: $4.68 million
The budget gap has already come down from where it was at Wednesday’s work session, when it was $2.6 million. The board used about $200,000 in projected health care savings, $500,000 in yet-to-be-spent grant funding and increases in projected revenue to reduce the gap, Spring said.
“As you get closer and closer to the end of the year, you have a better understanding of how much money you’re going to expend,” he said.
School board President Cathy Lewis suggested a 3 percent tax increase, which would account for $1.04 million of the deficit.
She said most of the remaining gap could be closed by including Spring’s proposed “behavioral changes” that now add up to $305,000 in savings, an increase from earlier this week when Spring estimated that the savings would be no higher $170,000. The savings would come from better scheduling of substitute teachers and voluntary reductions in the use of refrigerators and space heaters.
“If we were to pass this kind of budget, we need support from the citizens and taxpayer of this community to pass this budget,” Lewis said.
She then paused for effect, and applause broke out among the crowd.
Schenectady resident Jennifer Wagenbaugh said she would support higher taxes if it meant saving co-curricular activities.
“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on, and school is stressful enough,” said Wagenbaugh, who has a son in ninth grade at Schenectady High and two older sons who graduated from the district. “And they need that extra activity to get that stress level out.”
High school senior Kristen St. Andrews, captain of the varsity lacrosse team, said she would support higher taxes, too.
“If parents have to pay a little more, I think that if they understand what they’re paying for, they shouldn’t have a problem with it,” she said.
Toward the end of the three-hour meeting, the 17-year-old sat in front with her teammates, holding up signs expressing what their sport meant to them.
Her sign read “PERSERVERANCE.”
“It’s important that we have sports teams, and music, and other programs, because people who do not have a family life at home do have a family inside their team and inside their extra-curricular activities,” St. Andrews said. “I really think that’s important for people in this community, especially Schenectady High School.”
The board plans to look at what cuts would be needed for tax increases ranging from 0 to 3.5 percent when it meets in the high school auditorium at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Looking at the effects of a 0 percent tax increase will show the district what it would face if voters don’t pass the budget.
The most drastic cuts being considered, “level three” cuts, total $4.68 million, including up to $1.42 million from a new proposal to reduce full-day kindergarten to half-day.
Cathy Lewis a Republican turned Democrat is an ignorant fool along with Spring! There is a shrinking tax base in the City of Schenectady with 1,200 foreclosed homes and more in the future. Where are people going to get the money to pay for this 3.6% tax increase? Schenectady resident Jennifer Wagenbaugh is obviously a renter she doesn't write the checks to pay the school taxes so it's easy for her to say "raise the taxes". As for the High School Senior Kristen St. Andrews she is dumb as a rock she has a lot to learn about life which she failed to learn from attending Schenectady Schools. The School District is greedy wants everything and doesn't want to make hard choices. If there are no revenue from tax payers to fund programs then we have to eliminate programs until we can get the 1,200 foreclosed homes back on the tax roll in order to bring back programs. McThug's HOMES PROGRAM will not be the solution to restoring the 1,200 foreclosed homes back to the tax rolls. It is that simple! Cathy Lewis and Spring has to go please FIRE THEM! This is frikin ridiculous! Enough is enough we tax payers has had enough of incompetent so called "leaders" screwing us!
We wouldn't be in this mess if McThug hadn't chased all the real estate investors out of town with his "I want them out of business policy"! Retard Mayor!
McThug Doctrine- "I want them out of business absentee landlords, bars, corner stores"
The Schenectady City School District Board of Education approved a resolution, on February 5, that kicks-off the long range planning renewal program and multi-phase facilities master plan. Schenectady residents will head to the polls on March 25, 2014 to vote on Phase I of the plan, a Capital Project for $70 million, which will have little, if any, impact on the tax rate.
Why don't they stop closing and reopening schools, waste of money. Of course we knew there would be a tax increase, well the ones who voted no knew that
That would be an increase on the LEVY. It is totally impossible for them to say at this point that is the increase in taxes. The tentative assessment roll has not even been publicized and the tax increase WILL be based on new assessments, and remember that there are many tax certiorari lawsuits against the city (becau4e the city refuses to spend the money to do a citywide reassessment, but strangely the city DOES have money to give to their rich political cronies downtown), not to mention people WILL grieve and as long as they go to the small claims review level, they WILL win.
DV likes to say "ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTH"
Well, the ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTH is that thanks to the city/co/plex DEMS, the actual tax BILLS will go up probably 10% if not more.
Thanks to the dems in the city, they are causing a MASSIVE REDUCTION in the city's tax base and all the exemptions they are handing out to their rich cronies means the financially struggling homeowners will have to pay the taxes of the rich.
So hike on that much of the LEVY will surely hike the BILLS much more!
Just be sure any of you who live IN the city or know people who do, make sure you tell them to vote NO on the budget.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Why don't they stop closing and reopening schools, waste of money. Of course we knew there would be a tax increase, well the ones who voted no knew that
ANY increase in confiscatory Schenectady taxes is totally unacceptable. Aside from Lewis no one on this School Board has any business expertise. Keep voting for DEM hacks like Lumpy Kosiur. Now "promoting" by the boss to City Council. VOTE NO! They refuse to cut anything. Millions wasted busing kids in different directions. Instead of going to all K-8 and opening a 2nd high school we get a new plan a year. The best astro turf with the worst educators. Beyond embarrassing and another reason why City resale rates keep imploding.
pilots are not budgeted....they are 'special accounts'....NY style of course
Quoted Text
We will not know how much our PILOT payments will be for the coming fiscal year until our tax rates are set. How should I go about filling out this part of the form? Read Answer The figure should be based on a good faith estimate of the amount receivable. You should use the same process that you use to estimate your PILOTs receivable during budget development. Most local governments that receive PILOTs estimate the amount receivable pursuant to their respective PILOT agreements. However, if the Office of the State Comptroller finds upon audit that a local government has levied in excess of the tax levy limit, the local government must place an amount equal to the excess amount of the levy in reserve. My municipality receives a payment made in lieu of real property taxes, but the formula by which the payment is derived is not based on the assessed value of the property or the tax rates. Are these types of PILOTs also included in the calculation of the tax levy limit? Read Answer Yes. The tax cap is based on all payments in lieu of taxes, and does not distinguish between PILOT amounts that are based on assessed value, or some other methodology.
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
And there is never any talk of laying off teachers (union strong) or high end adminstrators. Eliminating a few of these would allow the board to reach their goal. And how much of this/past tax increases have assured buyouts/golden parachutes for discharged administrators Ely-Schenectady, Salvaggio-Niskayuna)?
How 'bout taxing the non-taxed rich located in the 'miracle mile' of downtown?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
How 'bout taxing the non-taxed rich located in the 'miracle mile' of downtown?
Those people would never live or send their children to Schendctady City Schools. They are RobberBarron. How many Mallozzi kids go to Schenectady Schools.
That would be an increase on the LEVY. It is totally impossible for them to say at this point that is the increase in taxes. The tentative assessment roll has not even been publicized and the tax increase WILL be based on new assessments, and remember that there are many tax certiorari lawsuits against the city (becau4e the city refuses to spend the money to do a citywide reassessment, but strangely the city DOES have money to give to their rich political cronies downtown), not to mention people WILL grieve and as long as they go to the small claims review level, they WILL win.
DV likes to say "ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTH"
Well, the ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTH is that thanks to the city/co/plex DEMS, the actual tax BILLS will go up probably 10% if not more.
Thanks to the dems in the city, they are causing a MASSIVE REDUCTION in the city's tax base and all the exemptions they are handing out to their rich cronies means the financially struggling homeowners will have to pay the taxes of the rich.
So hike on that much of the LEVY will surely hike the BILLS much more!
Just be sure any of you who live IN the city or know people who do, make sure you tell them to vote NO on the budget.
Ah hem! I TOLD YOU SO.
I stated the school tax BILLS would be higher than what the school board said they would be
Of course, everyone knew that -- except for those who cheer for the wild spending of taxpayer money on downtown.
All the wild uncontrolled spending of taxpayer money on downtown (much to the delight of DV who does NOT pay taxes and won't put a pinky toe into the city) has indeed caused such a MASSIVE REDUCTION in the city's tax base that the school tax BILLS are higher than the voters were told by the school board members.
The FACTS are shown in the Gazette story:
Quoted Text
...
The board also set it's tax rate..... That's a little higher than the school board had estimated before the budget vote in May.
See that, neither the school board nor he city dems are truthful with the voters!!!!!!!!!! And continuing
Quoted Text
They had hoped the typical homeowner with a house assessed at $101,000 would pay less than $2,200. That homeowner will actually pay $2,283
And you have to remember that a house assessed for $101,000 is reflective of the city claiming that the house has a market value of $82,115 based on the equalization rate, but those of us who are intelligent know that the wild spending on downtown actually means that such a house probably has a market value of about $75,000 or less, but the dems tax city homeowners at a home value MUCH HIGHER than the home is worth. And continuing,
Quoted Text
Costs increased because of many successful tax challenges ... and a high equalization rate. The high rate suggests Schenectady's assessments are higher than market values. Assessments are supposed to reflect what the proiperty owners would get in an open market sale.
Clarifying, the words in blue, bold should read "many successful assessment grievances."
But those of us who are intelligent and are taxpayers and thus have an understanding, simply have to laugh, because the sentence the Gazette says, "The high rate suggests Schenectady's assessments are higher than market value."
ROFL
Schenectady's assessments are way way high above market value, even more than what the equalization rate indicates. The Gazette should have sais the ".... high rate means home values in the city are falling on a large sale meaning the city's tax base is taking a big tumble because of the taxpayer money spent on downtown."
Would have to do more math to determine if the tax BILL hike is 10% or more, but one MUST be aware that one MUST consider the tax HIKE on the tax BILL in relation to what the REAL market value of their house is and not the hike calculated based on the assessment value.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Logged
ANY increase in confiscatory Schenectady taxes is totally unacceptable. Aside from Lewis no one on this School Board has any business expertise. Keep voting for DEM hacks 
