Kutztown School Board proposes a 1.7 percent tax increase

Kutztown School taxes are proposed to rise.

With a majority vote of 5 to 4, the Kutztown Area School Board passed the preliminary budget for the 2013-14 school year on Tuesday.

The preliminary budget raises the real estate tax rate in the school district to 30.049 mils.

The school board opted to raise the real estate tax to the maximum as allowed by Act 1, which is 1.7 percent.

An unidentified member of the crowd asked the committee to take another look at the budget because she claimed that after living in the district for 11 years and in that time period there has been a total of a 64 percent increase in her taxes and that she can no longer afford to live in the area if the real estate taxes continue to go up.

Board member James Shrawder voted against passing the preliminary budget.

“I object to, even on the preliminary stage, of including the maximum tax increase allowable by law,” said Shrawder.

School Board President Carl Ziegler said. “The preliminary budget is not binding on the final budget.”

The school board will continue to work with the community and other members of the district.

“We are obligated by our state to have a preliminary budget,” Ziegler said.

Board member Craig Schroeder said that in the past they have been able to cut the preliminary budget and believes they will be able to cut the budget in the coming weeks which could lower the 1.7 percent tax increase on the real estate tax.