By Nicole Falco
The new proposal carries a tax increase of just under $153 for the average homeowner, down from $175, or a budget-to-budget tax increase of about 6 percent. Because the high school district budget, which was approved last week, includes a $45 decrease in District 13, the combined increase for the average homeowner would be $108, or 1.85 percent more than the current budget.
Last Tuesday, the budget was voted down on the first try for the second year in a row. Voters cast 1,349 ballots against the $34.3 million spending plan and 1,219 in favor of it. Rather than put the same budget up for a revote or forgo a revote and operate on a contingency budget, the district will ask voters to approve an amended budget of $34.1 million, a reduction of $208,000. The revote is scheduled for Thursday, June 16. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at all four district schools.
If the amended budget fails, the district would be forced to operate under contingency, or austerity, which only allows a 4.39 percent budget increase and would mean $1.3 million more in cuts - most likely to staff and programs, since much of the increase is driven by mandated and contractual expenses, including increases in retirement-fund and health-insurance costs. Under austerity, the average homeowner would see an $87 increase on his or her elementary tax bill, according to the district.
The bulk of the $208,000 in cuts to the original budget proposal - $115,000 - was achieved by cutting 6.5 kindergarten aide positions. Currently there is one aide for each kindergarten class. If the amended budget is approved, one aide would split time between two classes. Also, the district opted against hiring two library media aides, as originally proposed, for a savings of about $32,500. An additional $60,000 in cuts were made to the textbook, equipment, electrical-work and acoustical-tile line items.
"When a budget is voted down, cuts have to be made," Dr. Frank Chiachiere, board president, told the two dozen or so residents and staff in attendance at Tuesday's meeting. "We made cuts in areas we believe will have the least impact on programs and that will enable us to continue to provide a high level of education; however, they are cuts. We are confident, as we were with the first budget, that this budget preserves what is best for the children."
Two trustees, Dr. Marie Connelly and Bill Stris, voted against the revised plan. Both said that additional cuts might have been necessary. "I'm concerned with the amount of cuts and the nature of the cuts," Connelly said. "I think we should have made more cuts, because taxpayers will not think that it's enough and we will have to go on a contingency budget."
Prior to making its decision, the board held a special meeting with residents at 6 p.m. Dr. Elizabeth Lison, superintendent of schools, and Meredith Brosnan, assistant superintendent for business, as well as members of the board, informed those gathered of the district's options. "I said before that our [original proposed] budget was sound and solid, and we believe that," Lison said. "Tonight what we're doing when discussing our options is going right into the meat of our budget programs."
Overall, those who attended the meeting were in favor of a revote, and some were even in favor of putting up the same spending plan. "Without a doubt, I think there should be a revote," one parent told the board. "I, as a parent, would never vote the budget down. There are valuable programs at my child's school. What the school system here gives us and why I personally moved here from Brooklyn was to have a better school system."
Some residents expressed the belief that the first proposal was voted down due to a lack of understanding among voters and negative publicity. "I think it's our parents who are voting it down," said Kathleen Evangelista, a Willow Road School parent. "We have to break it down as if they were in second grade. It's got to be black and white and easy for people to understand so they know if it is voted down, what they will lose."
A district on a contingency budget is mandated to make certain cuts, including those in maintenance and capital projects (except for emergencies), summer recreation programs and spending for equipment. "We would have to make $1 million more in cuts after that," Brosnan explained. "Short of turning off the heat and turning out the lights, there's not much more in our budget plan that is extraneous. Nothing is extraneous - we'd have to make cuts to programs."
To those in the district who consider contingency a threat, Chiachiere said, "We have an obligation to this community to tell what the downside of a contingency budget is going to be. There are going to be very painful cuts if we go on a contingency budget."
The district implored those in attendance to act as its "ambassadors" and get the word out about the budget, and they agreed. "I think we need to tell the story a little differently to the public," said Joseph DeSibio, a former school board candidate and a Willow parent. "We're running out of time, and I would vote to revise it. Somewhat I think it's a psychological issue to go from, say, 9.3 to 8.9 [percent]. It's like $19.99 versus $20. We have to show that we made an effort. Sell it on the tax implication, not the budget implication, and also get on the phone. I think if everyone in this room can get to somebody who can get to somebody, it's a done deal."
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
The budget revote is scheduled for Thursday, June 16. Voting will take place at all four district schools from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m., at the James A. Dever School on Corona Avenue.
Voter registration is set for Thursday, June 9, from 5 to 9 p.m. in all four schools.,/h3>
