Dear Editor,
Once again someone has written in commenting that only property owners should get to vote on school budgets because only they pay the taxes. They need look at the complete picture.
School districts get a large portion of their income from state aid. In the case of Tioga Central it is 75 percent state aid, not local property taxes. The state gets its revenue from taxes and fees.
We all pay income taxes and sales taxes, not just property owners. So we all contribute to the school funding from that route. As for landlords versus renters, property taxes are part of the cost of doing business for landlords. It is included in the rent.
So even though the taxes are nominally paid by the landlord, the renters provide the cash via their rent payment. So it is the renters that actually provide the funds that go to the school. We all pay. We all vote.
Sincerely,
Rich Ives
Owego, N.Y.
