Voters will decide school budgets May 20

TRI-COUNTY AREA—The Penn Yan, Dundee and Hammondsport school districts will hold their budget and school board votes during the Tuesday, May 20 elections. The elections will take place from noon to 8 p.m. in each district. Polling locations will be at the Penn Yan Academy gymnasium, Dundee’s public meeting room and the Hammondsport school lobby on Main Street.
In Penn Yan, the 2014-15 proposed budget includes a $422,710 increase in total expense from the current year’s budget. The plan has $33,071,307 in total proposed spending, up 1.3 percent from the prior year. This would result in a total property tax levy to be raised of $17,272,805, nearly 2.5 percent more than the current year’s budget. The maximum allowable tax levy increase is 2.67 percent. If approved the tax rate will increase 25 cents per $1,000 based on last year’s assessments.
The school ballot also has proposals to purchase four 65-passenger buses for $480,000. It also proposes to expend $424,821.21 from the technology reserve. This money will be put toward purchasing more computers, laptops and devices for student use. Each school has been testing different devices with a select group of students to see which ones work best in a classroom setting.
There are five candidates running for three available school board seats. Incumbents Anita Maroscher, Nancy Scher and Renee Bloom will be competing with challengers David Willson and Robin Johnson for the three seats. The board seats are for three-year terms.
Dundee’s 2014-15 budget proposes a $1,482,411 increase in spending from the current year’s budget. The plan has $16,551,960 in total proposed spending, up 9.84 percent from the year prior. This would result in a total property tax levy of $4,834,657, a 3.89 percent increase from the current year’s budget. The maximum allowable tax levy under the state tax cap is 5.3 percent. If approved, the tax rate would see an increase of 14 cents for a total of $10.60 per $1,000 of taxable assessment.
The district also proposes the purchase of school buses on the ballot. The district wants to purchase three buses with no more than $197,000 from the district’s 2011 bus purchase reserve fund. This purchase will have no impact on the 2014-15 tax levy.
The district proposes a contract for educational services with the Dundee Library in the amount of $145,000 and to levy the necessary tax. The current annual library appropriation is $57,849, and approval of the funds would guarantee the amount for future years. The proposition would eliminate the need for direct contributions currently made by the towns and villages served by the library.
There are three school board members currently running for reelection to three-year terms. The incumbents are Jared Webster, James Hill and John Frederick. They are running unopposed.
In Hammondsport, the proposed budget has a tax levy increase of 1.65 percent. Since the 2008-09 school year, the average tax levy increase for Hammondsport has been 1.51 percent. According to the district, the total budget equals $13,088,566.
The proposed budget cuts no staff or programs.
In addition to the tax levy increase, the district is proposing using $350,000 from the fund balance and $250,000 from reserves to cover costs. Using both fund balance and reserves have increased since 2008-09, when the district used neither to offset the budget.
The tax rate, per $100,000 of assessed property value, is also increasing to $9.86, up from $9.70. For a home in Wayne, Urbana, Tyrone or Pulteney assessed at $100,000, this means an increase of $11.20.
Residents will also vote on a board of education member. One board seat is up for election with two people running. The ballot will list incumbent Kevin Bennett and newcomer Benjamin Hartman.
In addition to the budget, residents will also vote on creating a reserve fund of $3,000,000 over a 15 year time frame. The money will be used to replace the district’s 1954 boilers, continued asbestos removal and reconstruction and renovation of school buildings.
A fourth proposition on the ballot will be the proposed purchase of two buses for an estimated $216,720.
If voters reject the proposed budget, the school board can adopt a budget with a tax levy no greater than what was levied the previous year or put up the same or a revised budget for a second vote. If the voters reject a budget twice, the school district must adopt a budget with the same tax levy as the prior year.