Yorktown School District "Moves Forward" with 2-Percent Tax Cap

The school year is barely underway, but the Yorktown school board is preparing to hammer out a 2012-13 budget that stays within the state-legislated 2 percent cap.

Superintendent Ralph Napolitano said the 2-percent tax cap, which was enacted in June by the state legislature and was pushed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a way to control spending, would make it difficult for the school district to maintain all programs. 

"We've always been careful," he said. "We've always tried to keep taxes affordable."

Napolitano said a balanced budget would not exceed the tax cap and it would help provide a "high quality" of education. To address the issues of staying under the enacted tax cap, he would be starting the budget process sooner and carefully analyze the district's expenses and make reductions where possible. 

Another problem includes paying out big chunks of money to property owners who have challenged their assessments in court and won. The lawsuits are called tax certioraris. If the court finds the property was/is over-assessed and orders a reduction, then the school district is hit with a double-whammy. They must issue a refund for past years' over-assessments and can collect lower taxes from that property in the future. The lower assessment goes on the tax rolls.

The district has paid $1.5 million in tax certioraris so far and more are expected. 

Napolitano also cited the unfunded mandates, rising pension and health insurance costs, a reduction in state aid and cash reserve depletion as contributors to his worries. His concerns include that with the tax cap, the district might not be able to maintain the same extracurricular activities, offset expenses, maintain class size and staff members. 

"There are a lot of things that are not under our control," he said. 

If the tax levy increase is above the cap, the support of a super-majority (60 percent of voters) would be required for the budget to pass. If the spending increase is within the cap, only a simple majority vote would be needed.

"You'll have to get a lot of people to agree you've made all the cuts and changes and there is nothing you can do," he said. 

Napolitano said the budget process began in September, principals and directors are meeting in October, the school board is presented with the budget in November. The budget is ready in December and presentations begin in January. Community members vote on the budget in May.

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