Dear Editor,
Have you heard the news? Have you read the “facts” as spun by Dr. Russell and the OACSDs’ Board of Education? “The average OA tax increase has been .93 percent per year, for the past six years.” (Very reasonable and affordable, I’d say).
Dr. Russell also stated, “Last year it was 0 percent” and that’s true, almost! Last year’s Tax Levy increase was 0.015308 percent and New York State refunded the increase; that’s true. However, that increase is now in your 2015 Tax Bill and for every tax bill forever!
How about it Nichols taxpayers? Did that feel like ZERO to you? And every other taxpayer in the Owego Apalachin Central School District who received those zero tax increases, look at your tax bill for the past six years and tell Dr. Russell, David Barton, Gene Cvik, John Crosby, Becky Goodrich, Lee Dunham, Buffie Arhbal, and Stacey Riegel just how much zero equals in the real world of household budgets and income.
Now get ready, here comes the really good news! Instead of raising your Tax Levy 5.32 percent as allowed by the Tax Levy Limit under the Property Tax Cap law, your board is going to give you a BREAK! They are raising your Tax Levy by 3.72 percent and taking another $589,134 in taxes from you! This is on top of an 8.7 percent increase in State Aid, an additional $1,623,894 over 2014-2015.
Another “Fact” to ponder, Dr. Russell told us, “The overall cost of Regular Instruction increased by $530,588 (5.0 percent). How about that? The Board increases your property taxes $589,134 and Instructional Salaries go up $530,588.
AND one more increase to consider, Dr. Russell and his direct reports, will likely receive another 3 percent increase along with his administrative staff. Not much left of that $583,000 for new student services or equipment.
Want to stop this vainly disguised thievery? You can! Four years ago, Governor Cuomo gave you the power to stop it. If you, the voters, on Tuesday, May 19, vote down the proposed budget, an adjusted budget will be prepared for you to vote on in June.
If you vote the revised budget down, there will be NO TAX LEVY INCREASE. A REAL ZERO INCREASE IN YOUR TAX BILL. AND your district will have to manage on a paltry $1,673,854 dollars increase in State Aid.
You can make a difference! You can do it! If you VOTE NO on May 19 and VOTE NO again in June, IT’s OVER! NO TAX INCREASE! But! Be prepared to have this administration retaliate! They will not forgo salary increases! They will not ask employees to pay more for Health Care! Instead they will cut student services! They will squeeze the students to gain sympathy and support for increasing their salaries and benefits!
But still VOTE NO!
Sincerely,
Joe Chartrand
Tioga citizens for Affordable Education and Excellence
Owego, N.Y.
