$67.5M Budget Hikes Taxes 1%, 0% Tax Hike Looms

The Pottsgrove School Board voted unanimously last night to adopt a $67.5 million preliminary final budget that would raises taxes by 1 percent.

For a home assessed at $120,000, the district average, that works out to another $45 in taxes.

But even that amount may not be levied. Superintendent William Shirk and Business Manager David Nester both said the administration has "a plan to get to zero."

"We do have a plan to get to zero, but there are still some big questions out there," such as tuition to charter schools and state budget numbers, Nester told the school board.

"If nothing astronomic happens, we feel pretty confident we can reduce this and get this to a zero," he said.

School Board President Matt Alexander said he appreciates the diligence the administration has demonstrated in following the board's directive to get to a zero budget.

"I feel it's better to adopt a budget at 1 percent and go down to zero once final numbers are in, rather than to budget zero and have to go back on it," Alexander said.

Board member Robert Lindgren agreed and said he sees the vote on the preliminary final budget as a vote of confidence in the administration.

"I fully expect to vote for a zero percent tax increase when we vote on the final budget. The zero options have been presented, but if something goes drastically wrong that is out of our control, we haven't tied the administration to a tree," he said.

Even board member Bill Parker, who had initially indicated he would vote against anything but a budget with no tax increase was convinced, although he said if the final numbers are off, he would prefer further trimming to using fund balance as Lindgren had indicated is an option.

Nester noted that district expenditures have gone up $1.6 million in this budget. "We have cut, and we have cut drastically. It will be difficult to find more without some pain," he warned.

In other business, the board also passed a resolution opposing the closure of the Pottstown YMCA, as well as appointing Athletic Director Gary DeRenzo as the new director of community relations and extra-curricular activities with no change in salary, although a new athletic director will be hired.

(Everyone needs their own John Armato ...)

Here are the Tweets from the meeting: