Hamburg Area school directors gave final approval for the 2016-17 budget, which includes a .25 mill tax increase, on June 20.
The 5-2 vote in support of the $40,370,374 budget marks the eighth consecutive year in which property taxes have increased by .25 mills.
The millage rate will increase almost 1 percent to 26.71 which translates to a $2,671 tax bill to owners on a property assessed at $100,000.
School directors Todd Hummel and Lolly Lesher voted in opposition and directors Duane Crider and Cory Johnson were absent.
“Taxpayers need a break,” Lesher said after the meeting. “This could have been done without an increase. It wasn’t necessary.”
Hummel, who also voted in opposition to the 2015-16 budget, said that money could have been saved in last year’s negotiations for a new teachers contract.
“The board acted irresponsibly and caved,” Hummel said after the meeting. “I took heat (for opposing the contract), but didn’t cave.
“Salaries are our number one expenditure. Money for teachers’ pay comes from the taxpayers and I won’t pass (the increases) on to the taxpayers.”
The strategy to increase taxes by .25 mills each year was put in place several years ago by the previous administration in order to avoid large increases and is supported by Superintendent Dr. Richard Mextorf.
“The district acts responsibly with its resources and minor increases prevent a huge spike down the road,” said Mextorf, who recently completed his first year as the district’s top administrator.
“If you do a little bit every year, hopefully, you never have to go back to taxpayers and say- ‘remember the days when you didn’t have an increase for four or five years and then all of a sudden you had a 4 mill increase and people went crazy’.”
The main expenditures in the budget include retirement contributions, salaries, charter school tuition and medical insurance.
Since the state’s basic education subsidy is still an unknown, the budget does not include an anticipated amount.
School directors met in an executive session prior to the meeting to discuss personnel. No details were available.
The next meeting of school directors is Monday, July 11 at 6;30 p.m. in the James A. Gilmartin Community Room.
