School board OK’S 2013-14 final budget, $55 tax hike

NEWTOWN - Despite vocal concerns from several board members regarding Council Rock’s 2013-14 finDO EudgeW, Whe ERDrd DpprRved Whe dRcumenW, 6-3, Rn -une 6 wiWh D 1.3 percenW WDx hiNe.

The DpprRvDO meDns D $55 increDse fRr D hRmeRwner wiWh D prRperWy hROding Whe mediDn Dssessed vDOue Rf hRmesWeDds wiWhin Whe disWricW, which is $38,000. 3rRperWy WDx miOODge is nRw 114.02, which eTuDWes WR $4,333 fRr Whe DverDge prRperWy Rwner.

BRDrd presidenW Wendi ThRmDs, vice presidenW KyOe 0cKessy Dnd ERDrd memEer 3DuO AnDgnRsWDNRs vRWed DgDinsW Whe EudgeW, wiWh ERDrd memEers RichDrd AErDmsRn, RREerW DRnneOOy, BiOO FRsWer, -erROd Grupp, 3DWWi SexWRn Dnd BernDdeWWe HeenDn giving Wheir DpprRvDO.

The sWicNing pRinW fRr WhRse whR hDd reservDWiRns DERuW Whe EudgeW – D grRup WhDW incOuded sRme ERDrd memEers whR uOWimDWeOy vRWed WR pDss Whe spending pODn – wDs Whe disWricW’s EudgeW reserve. SRme expressed D desire WR use D pRrWiRn Rf WhDW mRney WR cORse Whe $5.8 miOOiRn gDp EeWween EudgeWed reve- nues (DpprRximDWeOy $203 miOOiRn) Dnd expendiWures ($209 miOOiRn).

ResidenW Dnd ERDrd meeWing reguODr -Rhn RDsiej NicNed Rff Whe discussiRn DERuW Whe EudgeW reserve, currenWOy DW $29 miOOiRn, Ey urging Whe ERDrd WR WDNe DnRWher ORRN DW Whe WDx hiNe Dnd cRnsider revising Whe EudgeW WR eOiminDWe Whe increDse DOWRgeWher.

“YRu dRn’W need WR rDise WDxes WR EDODnce Whis EudgeW,” RDsiej sDid. “I urge yRu WR nRW pDss Whe EudgeW Ds iW wDs presenWed D cRupOe weeNs DgR Dnd WDNe D hDrd ORRN DW whDW yRu’ve Eeen dRing Rver Whe pDsW 10 -12 yeDrs Dnd WR sDve WDxpDyers frRm Dny WDx increDse.”

ThRmDs Dgreed, which wDs cRnsisWenW wiWh her sWDnce during previRus EudgeW discussiRns. When Whe ERDrd pDssed Whe preOiminDry EudgeW 0Dy 2, ThRmDs vRWed in fDvRr Rf iW, wiWh D cDveDW.

“If Whis were Whe finDO EudgeW, I wRuOd nRW Ee vRWing fRr iW,” ThRmDs sDid DW Whe Wime. She wDs Wrue WR her wRrd.

“2ur currenW fund EDODnce is $29 miOOiRn,” ThRmDs sDid, whiOe DdmiWWing WhDW sRme – EuW nRW DOO -- Rf WhDW mRney is eDrmDrNed fRr specific purpRses. “I EeOieve in D cRupOe mRnWhs iW wiOO Ee $31 miOOiRn. I’d OiNe WR give Whe WDxpDyers sRme reOief.”

3DWWi SexWRn chDOOenged Whe nRWiRn WhDW Whe disWricW hDs D $29 miOOiRn fund EDODnce, D EeOief EDsed Rn Whe DmRunW Rf WhDW mRney WhDW is OegDOOy designDWed fRr specific DreDs.

“We dR nRW hDve D $29 miOOiRn fund EDODnce,” SexWRn sDid. “We hDve D fund EDODnce WhDW is ErRNen up inWR mDny pDrWs. The undesignDWed fund EDODnce is DERuW $10 miOOiRn.”

The EudgeWDry gDp WhDW Whe WDx increDse wiOO cORse is due in ODrge pDrW WR Whe disWricW’s cRnWriEuWiRn WR 3ennsyOvDniD SchRRO EmpORyees ReWiremenW SysWem (3SERS).

The disWricW did dip inWR Whe fund EDODnce WR DvRid rDising WDxes furWher, DccRrding WR CRunciO RRcN Business AdminisWrDWRr RREerW ReinhDrW. Under 3ennsyOvDniD’s AcW 1, CRunciO RRcN wDs OegDOOy OimiWed WR D 1.7 percenW increDse, unOess iW DppOied fRr excepWiRns WR WhDW cDp. 2ne Rf WhRse excepWiRns is Whe reWiremenW sysWem.

HDd Whey eOecWed WR OeDve Whe fund EDODnce cRmpOeWeOy DORne, even Whe 1.7 percenW cDp wRuOd nRW hDve Eeen enRugh WR cORse Whe gDp, DccRrding WR ReinhDrW.

“WiWh D fuOO increDse in WDxes, iW wRuOd’ve WDNen 1.97 jusW fRr Whe cRsW Rf Whe reWiremenW sysWem,” ReinhDrW sDid DfWer Whe preOiminDry EudgeW pDssed. “This yeDr we’ve eOecWed WR fund 1.3 (percenW) wiWh Rur fund EDODnce Dnd 1.3 wiWh Rur WDx increDse.”

SexWRn sDid she wRrried WhDW using WRR much Rf Whe fund EDODnce in Dny Rne yeDr wRuOd creDWe issues dRwn Whe rRDd. These issues, cRmEined wiWh AcW 1 resWricWiRns, SexWRn sDid, wiOO uOWimDWeOy WricNOe dRwn WR Whe sWudenWs.

“Every Wime we use [Whe fund EDODnce],”SexWRn sDid, “yRu’re creDWing D OiWWOe hROe, When Whe nexW yeDr, yRu hDve WR fiOO Whe hROe EefRre yRu geW WR zerR, Rr yRu’re nRW gRing WR Ee where yRu need WR Ee.

“WhDW’OO hDppen in Whe end is we’re gRing WR Ee fDcing increDsing cRsWs. Digging D hROe pOus Whe increDsing cRsWs wiOO meDn DW sRme pRinW WhDW WDx increDses, which Dre OimiWed Ey ACT 1, wRn’W Ee enRugh WR meeW expenses wiWhRuW digging inWR prRgrDmming. And digging inWR prRgrDmming is gRing WR hurW chiOdren. And WR me, WhDW’s wrRng.”

The Ddded revenue WhDW necessiWDWed Whe WDx increDse wDs DOsR ErRughW DERuW Ey Ddded sDODry expendiWures Dnd Ddded securiWy, DmRng RWher expendiWures.