By Jeff Lipton
Although the numbers are preliminary, all residents are staring at an average 15 percent tax hike, and depending on the new property tax assessments, some may pay as high as 20 percent extra, said Dr. David Sussman, a school board trustee and chairman of the district's Business/Finance Advisory Committee. In light of the reduction in state aid and higher property-tax assessments, District 15 residents shouldn't be surprised to see their tax bills soar, he said. And if voters refuse to support the Lawrence school budget in the May 20 vote, it could mean the loss of millions of dollars for programs and services in the schools because the district would be forced onto austerity, board members said.
Dr. Mark Rosenbaum, Lawrence Public Schools superintendent, said Nassau County's recent property reassessment shows that Atlantic Beach homeowners would take the biggest hit, with an average 15.1 percent increase in taxes, followed by Lawrence, with a 12.8 percent hike. Cedarhurst is next highest, with a 2.3 percent increase. Taxes would drop an average of 4.7 percent in Woodsburgh, 3.5 percent in Woodmere and 3.6 percent in Inwood.
Sussman said that because of reassessments, residential taxes on single-family homes would immediately increase an average of 5 percent. Add to that a 5 percent budget-to-budget increase in Lawrence schools for the increased cost of salaries, benefits and textbooks. On top of that, the school district has proposed a $20.7 million bond to rehabilitate the schools, which will be one of the propositions on the May 20 ballot, adding an approximate 2 percent tax hike to the mix. In addition, state aid to the district could be reduced by $1.2 million, reflecting another 2 percent hike on the tax bill. The district has also been asked to add $600,000 to the pension fund another 1 percent increase.
Sussman said that Atlantic Beach and Lawrence residents could see a total tax hike of up to 20 percent, whereas Woodmere, Inwood and Cedarhurst tax bills could range from 10 to 12 percent more.
These are historic budget hits, said Sussman. We have to do anything we can to maintain the integrity of the system and to win over the entire community.
Board members said they understand the challenge facing them, since last year's budget was voted down the first time before additional cuts were made and it was approved a second time.
But this year, if the district is forced onto austerity and must work with a contingency budget, it could result in the loss of millions of dollars to the district, Sussman warned. He added that if the budget goes down, the school district would be allowed only a 1.92 percent budget-to-budget increase, or $1.6 million more than the current operating budget, according to state law. Budget defeat would mean many services and activities would have to be cut, board members said.
We've got to come up with good decisions in the budget for the community to buy into it, Sussman said at the Tuesday, March 4 budget work meeting. This year, contingency is a steep, steep fall.
There will be trouble with [school] budgets all over the island. It's actually a national problem.
Rosenbaum said that on top of all that, the governor has proposed delaying payment of state aid from February and March to April and May, which could result in increased borrowing by the district.
We got so little aid from the state that delaying it two months will not amount to a lot of money, Sussman said.
Board members said they would have to look closely at the roughly $3 million to $4 million proposed increase in spending over the current $84 million budget to see what is essential and what the district can do without. Whatever the final numbers are, it's going to be very expensive on the budget, Sussman said.
Sam Donato, interim assistant superintendent for business, said the bond, originally proposed at $21.3 million, will be $600,000 less than anticipated. The board approved the new bond figure at the March 4 work meeting. The bond will be used to rehabilitate the district schools, many of which, board members said, are in desperate need of an overhaul.
