WRIGHT TWP. — The Crestwood School Board approved a proposed final budget earlier this month with a 2.4% increase in property taxes, below the maximum allowed by state law without voter approval or a special exemption from the state.
The initial vote was to raise taxes to the maximum of 4.2%, but that was voted down. A motion was then made to pass the budget with no tax increase, but that motion died due to lack of a second. A third motion was made with the 2.4% increase, and that passed with Board President Barry Boone voting no.
This doesn’t mean the tax increase will happen or that it can’t be increased. The state requires school boards to pass a proposed final budget by the end of may and pass a final budget by the end of June. The board can change the numbers as new information comes in.
Business Manager Natasha Milazzo said that if the 2.4% increase is kept, it would leave revenue falling short of proposed expenditures by about $592,081 in 2022-23. That shortfall would be covered by reducing an expected fund balance of about $1.32 million to about $729,994 by the end of June 2023.
The proposed budget sets spending at $46.4 million. The current property tax rate is 11.7494 mills. A mill is a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property taxes. The board could lower or eliminate the tax increase before approving a final budget, which must happen by the end of June.
The board also:
• Approved an agreement with Fairview Township police officer Dennis Monk and Wright Township police officer Scott Rozitski for the D.A.R.E. program in the district at a cost of $7,354 including salaries and supplies for two officers teaching fifth grade students in two elementary schools. Short for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, D.A.R.E. bills itself as “the most comprehensive drug prevention curricula in the world.”
• Set collection dates for 2022-23 property tax bills, with Aug. 1 as issue date, the 2% discount period running from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, the face value period from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, and no penalty period. The board also set the tax three-installment payment dates with one-third of face value due Sept. 1, Oct. 17 and Dec. 16.
• Approved an agreement with Lee Anthony as speech therapist at $45 per hour.
• Appointed Kathleen Rickrode as secondary campus physics teacher at a salary of $58,143.
• Appointed Mary Pascucci as full-time accounts payable secretary at $17.65 per hour following a 60-day probationary period at 10% less than that.
• Accepted the resignation of custodian Deanna Burrows.
