Lynbrook School Board Discusses Tax Cap

Out of all the areas that Gov. Andrew Cuomo could have picked for his property tax cap bill signing, he did so at a .

And while many village residents — and thousands more New Yorkers around the state — are thrilled with the new law, which will impose a two-percent cap on spending increases proposed by local municipalities, there's a part of the Lynbrook community that believes a tax cap will likely have a negative impact.

That part is the Lynbrook School District.

This past May, with spending increases minimized to areas where they had to rise, such as for state mandates and contractual obligations. Even with that conservative mindset, the district is raising the property tax levy by 4.39 percent this year (2011-12). The cap would force the district to halve that percentage increase in its next budget proposal, that is unless 60 percent or more residents taking part in the budget vote approve a greater increase.

This proposes a serious dilemma for members of the Lynbrook Board of Education, which will have to make a decision on whether to try and remain under the two-percent cap in crafting the 2012-13 budget or proposing a higher increase and trust in the community to support it.

One thing is for certain, board trustees agree: the budget process will have to begin much earlier this year. Trustees discussed the topic at Tuesday night's school board meeting, held in the Atlantic Avenue Board Room.

"That conversation has to start now," said Superintendent Dr. Santo Barbarino. "We can't wait until September or October — we have to start now, and we are."

The board is already weighing the idea of adding a fourth budget workshop session in the spring, one more than it usually hosts. Trustee William Belmont, however, is hoping the board takes a more aggressive approach to getting the word out on just how the property tax cap works, so people are well educated on the law come budget season. He recommends using school events to take a few minutes and explain the property tax cap and its effect to those in attendance.

Belmont said he's fearful of making even minor cuts to future budgets in areas that directly affect the students. "Once you start chipping away," he said, "it never comes back."

There are some exemptions to the tax cap. If a district is forced to raise its contribution to the state pension system by more than two percent, anything above that two-percent would not be counted toward the district's overall tax levy percentage increase. Many capital projects would also be exempt.

The next meeting of the Lynbrook Board of Education is Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Atlantic Avenue Board Room.