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60 to 70% of your taxes
On Tuesday, April 15, residents will have the opportunity to vote for board of education candidates and for their school budget(s), which can comprise up to 70 percent of their tax bill.
At a time when many seem to have lighter wallets, whether due to fixed incomes or a downturn in the economy, it might be tempting to some to vote down their school budgets with the hope of lightening their burden.
While this is certainly everyone’s right as a voter, there seems to be a misconception by some that turning down a school budget will have a dramatic impact on their tax bills.
This is simply not true. When a budget is rejected, it goes to the mayor and council for suggested cuts, and the board of education then has to cut the recommended dollar amount.
For the most part, however, residents who vote down their school budgets are looking at a savings of $40 to $50 a year, roughly $3 to $4 a month.
It’s one thing to vote down an irresponsible budget. It’s quite another to vote down a budget that just barely meets the needs of the students, thereby forcing the council to cut money out that could cripple school programs, and eventually impact the value of the school, and thereby the value of your property.
It’s important to know what’s in a budget, what the board of education is proposing to fund, whether additional programs or cuts have been planned, and what is being invested in the schools for the future before making a decision on whether or not a budget is responsible.
We hope that you’ve read what’s being funded in each of your budgets (visit www.pvcommunitylife.com for archived articles) and will make a decision that’s in the best interest of the taxpayers and the students.
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