Northville Central School District officials met this week to re-draw next year’s budget after failing to reach a super majority approval earlier this month.
A $14.9 million budget that would have seen a 3.45% spending increase and a tax levy increase of 6.5% was narrowly rejected by taxpayers earlier this month.
The budget in the Fulton County district needed 60% of the vote — it fell four votes short.
Following a Tuesday meeting, Board of Education President Carolyn Wilcox said officials made an additional $212,000 in cuts.
“We were going to buy a new pickup truck that we need as a part of our replenishment schedule this year and we cut that from the budget. But what we’re going to do is we’re going to use fund balance from this year we voted to do that. So, we’ll buy the pickup this year instead of in net year’s budget. We’re not going to use our distance learning lab. That’s about $53,000 I believe. So, we won’t be using our distanced learning lab under the BOCES contract,” explained Wilcox.
Among other reductions, the district plans on cutting substitute costs in its elementary, middle and high schools, totaling just over $40,000.
The district’s business manager Bruce Ellsworth says the school receives roughly 37% of its budget from state aid, much lower than surrounding districts. He says inflated property values around Sacandaga Lake can skew the real need of the district.
“Your basic revenue is coming from either state aid or the taxpayers and unfortunately roughly 53% of our revenue last year was from taxpayer revenue. So, we just don’t have a lot of options other than trying to see if anything can be done with state aid and the tax levy itself,” said Ellsworth.
Dstrict representatives tell WAMC they’re working to understand why their state aid is lower than nearby districts.
Ellsworth said the district is bracing for future budget uncertainties — Governor Kathy Hochul floated a proposal to change “hold harmless,” a practice that ensures schools receive at least the same amount of money from the previous year. It was restored during budget talks.
“We’re not a wealthy district. And I think the taxpayers just decided we were going out with a 6.52% increase and they just felt that that was too much,” said Ellsworth.
The district had already applied $815,000 in fund balance and reserve funds to get the initial budget.
After three rounds of reductions and appropriations, the board of education was able to slash almost $2 million off the proposed budget, sitting at a tax levy increase of 3.68%.
Wilcox is confident this budget will pass, especially now that it needs only 50% approval because it’s not overriding the state tax cap.
“Right now, we’re not cutting into programs or anything. If this does not pass and this goes to an austerity or a contingency budget then we will be cutting into programs. We will be cutting into programs. We will be cutting into all extra-curricular programs. Chorus, band, all the sports, all the afterschool clubs and what not. But we’re not there yet, so that’s good. And we won’t be there because this is going to pass,” said Wilcox.
Northville was one of 32 districts in the state that was seeking to pass a budget that overrode the tax levy increase and one of nine that was unsuccessful in an initial vote.
The vote on the new budget is June 18th.
