Homeowners in the Saucon Valley School District could be paying higher taxes next school year, after the school board voted 6-3 Tuesday night to tentatively approve a 1.24 mill tax increase to help close a $2 million gap in the district’s proposed 2016-2017 budget.
The Saucon Valley School District campus (FILE PHOTO)
District Finance Manager David Bonenberger said in an email that the 1.24 mill increase would translate to a $124 annual increase for a district resident with a home assessed at $100,000.
The total millage rate for property owners in the district would increase to 52.98, from 51.74, if the tax increase receives final approval by the board. That translates to a percentage increase of more than 2 percent.
The Express-Times reported that school board members Ed Inghrim, Susan Baxter and Mark Sivak voted against the proposal to increase taxes by 1.24 mills, with Inghrim lamenting the fact that the district has a $14.4 million general fund balance it could theoretically draw upon to help balance the budget.
Saucon Source readers expressed mixed views on Facebook about whether the fund balance should be used to help balance the budget.
Through attrition, the district is also considering eliminating three full-time and two part-time positions: two custodians, one English teacher and two part-time paraprofessionals, the newspaper article also indicated.
The tax increase would reportedly be the district’s first in eight years.
A vote on final adoption of the 2016-2017 school district budget is scheduled to take place in June.
School board meetings can be watched live via a link on the district’s website, under Agendas on the School Board page (click “Watch” next to the meeting date). The meetings are also uploaded to YouTube so anyone can watch them later.
