The New Paltz Board of Education is currently trying to figure out plans for the 2012-13 budget year.
School officials are drafting at least two versions of their budget. One would have a strict 2 percent tax levy and another would trigger a need for a super majority vote.
The 2 percent property tax cap, which was passed in June, establishes a tax levy limit on local governments to restrict the degree to which they can raise the increase of property taxes.
Director of CRREO Gerald Benjamin said that the tax cap will be challenging for schools because they are “hard pressed to operate within the cap.” Schools and local governments will have to control their costs and learn to be more efficient with less money.
“We’re planning to deal with the tax cap,” School Board Vice President K. T. Tobin Flusser said. “[But] we still have to watch Albany to see what they’re going to do about state mandates.”
Tobin said they’re waiting because they heard that Cuomo was going to modify the tax package.
Last Sunday, Cuomo announced that he was going to create new tax brackets in New York called the “Fair Tax Code Reform.”
Bloomberg.com reported that the new tax rates would generate a billion dollars in additional revenue while “cutting levies for 4.4 million middle-class residents by $690 million.”
Tobin said she hopes the 2012-13 budgets will allow educational program to remain.
“[I hope the budget] maintain educational programs with a reasonable budget that the public can support.”
Assistant Superintendent for Business Richard Linden said that New Paltz School Officials won’t know what they tax levy is until they have all the date which will be available by the end of January or mid-February.