Budgets - Budget Newsletter

With the proposed 1.86% tax levy increase, a Carmel Central School District home with a taxable assessed value of $350,000 will likely see an annual tax bill increase of approximately $155-$185. However, the figures provided assume School Tax Relief Program (STAR) exemptions, no change in the town assessed value, and no changes in the equalization rates.

The school district has no control over changes to town assessed values or equalization rates. These are subject to change as determined by each town and generally not set until later this summer. Any changes to those values could result in different annual tax changes for district homes.

Carmel Central School District is proposing an increase to its tax levy by 1.86% for 2023-24. However, your overall tax bill may change by a different percentage if:

• The value of your property has changed;
• Your STAR reimbursement has changed; or
• The proportion of school taxes paid by homeowners in your township changes.

How is your final school tax bill and tax rate set?

Your school tax bill and tax rate are determined by a combination of three factors, one of which is outside the district’s control:

1. School Tax Levy: The total amount of money a school district needs to collect from property owners each year ($140,949,698 in the 2023-24 proposed budget). This is a 1.86% increase proposed for 2023-24, which is less than the district’s tax cap of 2.64%.
2. State School Tax Relief Program (STAR): Partial school tax exemptions for owner-occupied homes. The Basic STAR and Enhanced STAR savings for each township can be found online:
   www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/ex_index.htm.
3. Property Assessments: Estimates of the value of how much a property would sell for under normal conditions. This information is determined by your town’s assessor.

Once all factors are set, the final tax rate determines how much of the total tax levy each property owner pays.

On May 16, the CCSD community will be asked to vote on two capital projects that impact the safety and wellbeing of our school district. Both proposed projects will have a zero-tax impact as the funds for both projects will be transferred from the District’s Capital Reserve Fund, which has a balance of $2,900,000.

Summary of Proposition #2: GFMS Water Tank Replacement

The District is proposing the replacement of the original, 50-year-old 10,600-gallon water tank that services all of George Fischer Middle School at an estimated cost of $500,000. The District would receive approximately 50% back in state aid reimbursement for the cost of the project. The project would be slated to begin during the summer of 2024 with an estimated timeline of 4-6 weeks.

Without taking this action, the District risks a potential failure of the water tank, which would cause a disruption to the educational environment of George Fischer Middle School by displacing students in the building and altering their classroom settings. Failure could also mean physical plant damage to the building resulting in increased costs for the overall project with respect to labor and materials.

Summary of Proposition #3: Districtwide Phone System, Intercom and Public Address System

The District is proposing the replacement of the districtwide phone system and intercom and public address system which are more than 20 years old at an estimated cost of $1,000,000. The District would receive approximately 50% back in state aid
reimbursement for the cost of the project. The project would be slated to take place during the 2023-2024 school year.

The District has experienced sporadic failures of these systems in all buildings for years because the systems rely on copper lines that are outdated and no longer serviced through service provider companies. During these times of failures, incoming
and outgoing calls are not possible and announcements within the building are limited at best. All these circumstances present safety issues for our students, staff and families. Lack of reliable communication both within school district buildings and
outside the District puts our school community in a dangerous position.

The District is proposing a Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, which will provide more reliability, better communications and incident response. In addition to replacing the traditional phone, intercom and fax systems, VoIP will allow connections
to be made to panic buttons for instant visual and auditory alerts and the ability to interact with other District security systems including door controls, cameras and future strobe lights.

Voters will be asked to consider three propositions and vote for two Board of Education members on this year’s ballot. The first proposition asks voters to consider the proposed school budget for 2023-24, while the second and third propositions ask voters to consider two safety capital projects, which will have no impact on taxes. This is how they will appear on the ballot:

Proposition #1: Basic Budget

Shall the Board of Education be authorized to expend the sum of $140,949,698 during the 2023-2024 school year as a basic budget?

Proposition #2: George Fischer Middle School Water Tank Replacement

Shall the Board of Education of the Carmel Central School District be authorized to, without the levy of additional taxes, replace the water tank at George Fischer Middle School, and acquire associated and incidental equipment, machinery, apparatus
and perform related work, at an estimated maximum cost of $500,000, which amount shall be paid for entirely from the Capital Reserve Fund?

Proposition #3: Districtwide Phone System, Intercom and PublicAddress System

Shall the Board of Education of the Carmel Central School District be authorized to, without the levy of additional taxes, replace the districtwide phone, intercom and public address system in its School Buildings, district office, transportation office and
bus garage, and acquire associated and incidental equipment, machinery, apparatus and perform related work, at an estimated maximum cost of $1,000,000, which amount shall be paid for entirely from the Capital Reserve Fund?

School Board Candidate Elections

There are two (2) Board of Education seats up for election this year. All residents may vote on the two available seats and the three propositions. The seats will be filled by the two candidates with the highest number of votes for three (3)-year terms,
commencing July 1, 2023, and expiring on June 30, 2026.

Candidates are (as they will appear on the ballot):

• Carmela Atria
• James Wise
• Jordi Douglas