By Laura Lane
Merrick and North Merrick residents recently received their property-tax bills, and they learned how much more they-ll pay in taxes this year. Merrick taxes are going up by 13.6 percent and North Merrick by 15.6 percent.
The increases reflect residents- total tax bills for their component elementary districts and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.
In interviews, local residents said the schools need the right amount of funds to provide children with a good education, but many were still concerned about the amount taxes are rising.
Walter Ellensohn, a former commissioner of the North Merrick Fire Department, is retired. He raised five children in North Merrick. Ellensohn voted for the school budget last May, but said seniors customarily vote against it. These taxes are chasing older people off the Island, Ellensohn said. If they stay, they get a job like at Wal-Mart or Home Depot because they can-t afford to live on their retirement. I didn-t think the school taxes would go up this year.
Ellensohn said most seniors don-t attend school-board meetings where budget information is offered. Ellensohn believes the budget should be presented separately for older adults before they vote. The school should explain it better. Half of the people I know don-t know where to get the budget, and they don-t even bother to vote anymore, Ellensohn said. Where is it all going? They should freeze the budget.
Bill Nimmo, the North Merrick School District business administrator, said keeping the budget stable is impossible. Health insurance and pension costs are dictated by the state increase, Nimmo explained. Utilities go up and so do wage contracts. Our payroll is 60 percent of our budget.
Before the budget vote, the North Merrick School District estimated that property taxes would go up 8.49 percent. Nimmo said this was a conservative estimate, because it had to be made before the state released its figures on how much state aid the district would receive. In the end, Nimmo said, the district-s estimate was on the mark.
But recently he-s received many residents- calls about the increase. I spend about 20 minutes with each person trying to go over it with them, Nimmo said. We got an equal number of calls this year as last year. It-s hard to explain on paper.
Sydney Freifelder, assistant superintendent for the Merrick School District, said her district doesn-t offer an estimate of how much taxes might go up before the budget is voted on. Estimating taxes sets districts up for trouble, Freifelder said. But our increase in Merrick is what we knew it would be.
Carol Siegel, of Merrick, said, I don-t mind the taxes because it helps the schools. But I think it-s too much already. Inflation is a killer. Siegel-s children attend Merrick schools, and she-s active in the PTA.
Gina McGovern, of North Merrick, said she realized property taxes were going up. But, she noted, it was still shocking when she received her tax bill. Most people don-t spend enough time looking at the budget, McGovern added.
She believes her children benefit when the school budget passes, and she thinks every homeowner does, as well. A strong school district gives you a strong home value, but unless people are ready to move, they often don-t see that, McGovern said.
Toby Lamhut, president and co-founder of the local chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons, lives in Bellmore. She believes children are entitled to a good education. Lamhut said the tax increase is unfortunate, and she believes there are alternatives.
Our chapter gives to after-school programs in Bellmore and Merrick, Lamhut said. Other organizations could donate to other programs. And what ab
