No tax increase for Central Greene
WAYNESBURG – Central Greene School Board adopted a 2013-14 budget Tuesday that includes no increase in the property tax.
The board voted unanimously to adopt a budget, which lists expenditures at $31,434,605 and revenue at $30,417,555, and is balance with $1,017,050 from the district’s fund balance.
The use of more than $1 million of the fund balance to help cover the revenue shortfall will still leave the district with a fund balance of about 8 percent, or $2.6 million, business manager Deborah Crouse said.
This is on the high side of the state’s recommended fund balance for a district the size of Central Greene. The state recommends a fund balance of between 5 and 8 percent, Crouse said.
The budget funds all existing programs and includes the addition of one position to the teaching staff, that of a special education teacher.
Expenditures increased about $800,000 from the current year. Increases in spending resulted from a 4 percent jump in the district’s contribution to the state’s retirement fund and normal increases for contractual obligations such as salaries.
The costs of supplies also increased and health insurance costs rose by about 1.5 percent.
On the revenue side, the district expects a decline in property tax revenue as a result of a decrease in assessed value due to coal depletion.
Federal funding will decrease by about $47,000 while state funding is expected to increase slightly based on figures included in the governor’s budget, which has not been finalized.
Under the budget, the property tax levy will remain at 24.75 mills. Property owners eligible for the homestead or farmstead exception will be able to subtract $294.95 from their property tax bill this year, provide their tax bill exceeds that amount.
The district last raised taxes two years ago, when it increased the tax levy by 0.48 of a mill.
In other business, the board approved the hiring of Tyler Shreve as the middle school marching band director. He replaces Mark McCollum, who resigned last month.