The 2010-11 school budgets are being developed now, will be put to vote in a few months, and will most likely increase out-of-control property taxes. Now is the time to go to your school board meetings and ask board members why the community's ability to pay is not even a factor in the equation.
Ask them why teachers who get paid for a full year and have almost 13 weeks of vacation, who have a better benefits package than you and a guaranteed pension that is exempt from New York State taxes, are being given salary increases that outpace inflation by two to three times. Ask your district for a copy of the proposed school budget and a copy of their labor agreements if they aren't online.
Don't look to our elected representatives in Albany to solve our problems with escalating school taxes. They haven't helped the voters in New York in the past and are afraid to upset the very powerful teachers union.
Jerry Romano
Sea Cliff
District reserves
are sound budgeting
Your editorial accusing school districts of "sitting on money" is terribly misleading ["Stop sitting on money," Opinion, Jan. 4]. The idea that it's the fault of school boards and school districts for high property taxes is a scam that is straight out of the Albany playbook.
School budgets include a legal cap of 4 percent for fund balance. Last month, Gov. David A. Paterson, who sits on a billion-dollar fund balance but won't use it to help the taxpayer, proposed that school districts use their reserves to help meet the state's deficit more than halfway through the fiscal year. This is just hypocritical. In addition to funding unexpected or emergency costs, many districts use these funds to reduce taxes.
You are correct in stating that some districts have overfunded reserves - but these are for specific future expenses, like employee benefits that Albany controls or capital projects we need.
The combination of prudent annual use of rainy day funds, plus accruing long-term reserves, is sound budgeting that ensures stability - something Albany is sorely lacking, and the Island's districts are smart enough to practice in the interest of their taxpayers.
