School Board Passes Resolution That Limits Potential Tax Hike

At its Nov. 22 meeting, the Saucon Valley School Board voted to approve a resolution declaring that the district will not increase property taxes by more than 1.7 percent for the 2012-2013 school year.

The amount was calculated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education under the Act 1 index, which formulates allowable property tax increases (before exceptions) for school districts throughout the state.

Business Manager David Bonenberger said it was required for the board to pass the resolution, since they do not plan to raise taxes significantly for the 2012-2013 budget year.

“If we planned to go over the 1.7 percent, we would have had to have the budget in by November,” he said.

School board member Sandra Miller questioned if the state could void the resolution if needed. Bonenberger said the resolution could not be changed.

School board member Lanita Lum asked district administrators if it would be feasible to avoid a tax hike for a third year in a row.

“For three years, you have been magicians (by not raising taxes),” she said. “Are you going to be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat again?”

Bonenberger said that because the district has worked the past three years to not raise property taxes at all, it is feasible to do it again.

Since the district adopted the resolution, it has until Jan. 30 to submit a preliminary budget.

The district must adopt its proposed final budget by May 31 and make the proposed final budget available for public inspection by June 10, 2012.