Council proposal will drop BOE tax rate, restore jobs and programs

Calling it a “win for everyone,” Councilman Ray Rusnak, today announced a budget plan that will reduce taxes slightly for the average homeowner, as well as allow the local school board to restore programs and teachers if it chooses.

Under the proposal, the Council would cut the school tax levy by $1.25 million, which would result in taxpayers receiving a $15 tax decrease this year. Voters in April rejected a schools budget that would have hiked taxes by about $100 for the average home.

The proposal will also include recommendations that the board cut another $725,000, which can be used to restore some of the cuts the board made when announcing the budget, including extracurricular activities, teachers, the adult high school, and sports programs.

“These reductions won’t cause a single teacher to lose a job, and they won’t eliminate a single educational or sports program,” said Matt Anesh, who serves as council president. “Just the opposite, we’re recommending ways to possibly bring back teachers and reinstate programs.”

The plan was recommended by the council’s administration and finance committee, chaired by Rusnak, and it will go before the entire council Monday night.

Councilman Tim McConville, whose three children attend Riley School, likes the plan: “It brings down taxes and allows the board to restore programs for the kids, so I’ll be supporting it.”

If approved, the board would be bound by the $1.25 million budget cut, although it could appeal the cut to the Commissioner of Education. The council’s line-item reductions and recommendations to bring back programs are not binding however.

“The board can disagree with how we got to the $1.25 million and can choose to disregard our other recommendations, but we hope they’ll look closely at them,” said Anesh. “They benefit the children.”

Anesh credited Rusnak, Administrator/CFO Glenn Cullen, and Borough Auditor Bob Swisher with scouring the budget for savings and finding cuts that would not affect education.

“Voters overwhelmingly defeated the budget, so we knew we had to reduce the tax rate,” Anesh said. “But we also wanted to find cuts that wouldn’t hurt the students.”

Councilman Rob Bengivenga, who also sits on the administration and finance committee, agreed: “We originally wanted to bring the tax rate flat without negatively affecting education. I’m happy to say we were able to do much more. We found additional reductions that can be used save some jobs and vital programs, like the adult high school, school safety, and sports.”

Bengivenga also praised Rusnak, who spearheaded the review and held at least a half-dozen meetings before the final proposal was developed.

“Ray made sure everyone was part of the process and got their say,” Bengivenga said. “He made that clear from the start”

The proposed reductions include cutting $250,000 from the amount budgeted for raises and reducing several reserve accounts. A review of the board’s books also showed additional surplus, which was not available when the board originally proposed its spending plan.

In addition, retirements that were announced after the budget was adopted by the board provided some additional places to cut cost, because the newly hired employees will be hired at a little over half the salary as the person retiring.

(Reader Submitted).

Update:  According to an article in the Courier News, the proposal appears to have bipartisan support, with Mayor Charles Butrico commenting favorably upon the plan.  To read the article click here