Jefferson-Morgan School Board approves preliminary budget
JEFFERSON – Jefferson-Morgan School Board approved a preliminary 2015-16 budget Tuesday recognizing the possible need to increase taxes this year in excess of the inflationary index established under the Taxpayers Relief Act.
The board approved a preliminary budget of $13,648,274, which is about $767,000 greater than the current budget.
Preparing a preliminary budget does not necessarily mean the board will adopt a final budget in June that includes a tax increase in excess of the inflationary index, business manager Jennifer Foringer said.
The board, however, decided to take this step “to keep all options open,” she said.
For a school district to increase taxes in excess of the state’s inflationary index, it is required by law to approve a preliminary budget in January and either receive an exception from the Department of Education or have the proposed tax increase approved in a voter referendum.
The inflationary index for the district is 0.69 of a mill, Foringer said.
The board last year voted to increase taxes in excess of the index after receiving an exception from the state for its high retirement costs. Last year’s inflationary index was set at 0.75 of a mill; the board adopted a budget in June with a 1.39 mill increase.
The board again plans to seek an exception from the state based on its high retirement costs, Foringer said. The state also allows exceptions for excessive special educations costs and for debt for school construction incurred prior to 2006.
The board still has much work to do on the budget before it is ready for adoption, Foringer said.
Many aspects of the spending plan will not be known until later in the year, she said. The district, for instance, has no idea how much money it will receive in funding from the state.
The district does, however, expect to see increases in its normal operating costs.
About 34 percent of the increase proposed in the preliminary budget can be attributed to retirement costs; about 29 percent to regular salary increases and about 8 percent to health care costs.
The preliminary budget also includes about $200,000 to cover debt service for proposed improvements to the middle-senior high school.
The board voted last month to seek bids for a project that includes replacement of sections of the roof not replaced last year, a new heating and air conditioning system and electrical and plumbing upgrades.
In other business, the board voted to hire Aaron Giorgi as the district’s new varsity head football coach. Emily Jellots was hired as a personal care aid.
Resident Richard Knight addressed the board to inform it of plans by Bell’s Bridge LLP to develop a water filling station for tanker trucks on Route 188, about 300 yards west of the school.
Knight spoke of residents’ concerns about the safety of trucks entering the highway in the area. The plan was rejected last year by the Jefferson-Morgan Multi-Municipal Zoning Board, but on appeal remanded back to the hearing board for a new hearing.
The district testified in opposition to the plan at last year’s zoning hearing. The new hearing, Knight said, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Morgan Township Municipal Building.