Board eyes possible tax increase

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Mt. Lebanon school board on Monday approved a draft preliminary budget for next year calling for $99.3 million in spending and a property tax increase of 0.73 mills.

The board also has directed the administration to apply for exceptions from the state Department of Education for costs related to special education and pension expenses.

Board members said they don’t necessarily intend to raise taxes once the final budget is approved in June, but they wanted to preserve their options.

That’s because several major cost drivers remain unclear, including health care and salaries, which comprise nearly half of all expenses. The board currently is negotiating with the teachers union for a new contract. The current pact expires in June.

“This does not mean this will be the millage rate for the coming year,” said SuperintendentTimothy Steinhauer.

State law requires districts to pass preliminary budgets in February if they will exceed the Act 1 index limit, which caps the district to a hike of no more than 2.5 percent — or 0.57 mills. The current rate is 23.93 mills.

The preliminary budget would increase the tax rate to 24.66 mills.

The district has exceeded the index limit three times since Act 1 was passed in 2006 — a major increase in 2011 to finance the high school renovation project and smaller increasesin 2013 and 2015.

The law allows districts to seek exceptions from the Education Department for expenses related to construction, pension or special education.

During a discussion session last week, members said they don’t intend to raise taxes, if possible, and said they would work in the comingmonths to curb expenses.

The draft budget will be available to the public for a month before the board votes on it Feb. 26. It can be viewed onlineat www.mtlsd.org.

The board also approved a $72,500 contract with J.T. Sauer & Associates of Robinson to provide concept designs for the so-called “rock pile” a large grassy area that had been used as a practice field before the high school renovation.

The board is hoping to use the designs to determine whether to install artificial or natural turf at the site.