Spring-Ford Board Approves Tax Hike, Members Blame State Legislature

The Spring-Ford Area School Board on Monday voted to approve the $131.5 million 2013-2013 budget with a 1.96 percent tax increase, but not without voicing objection to unfunded mandates from Harrisburg that are forcing local taxes to increase.

“What’s heartbreaking is that you see [Pennsylvania State] legislators talking about how they’re not raising taxes,” said board chairman Thomas DiBello. “All these new initiatives and mandates are being driven from the state down to the local districts, causing the school board members to raise taxes and take the heat for what is occurring at the state level.

The millage for the 2013-2014 school year is 25.254 mills, up from 24.769 mills last year. On a home valued at $100,000, the tax bill will be $2525.40, an increase of $48.50 from last year.

DiBello voted against the budget, which passed 7-1 with one member absent, to “stand up and take a position” against the state legislature that, according to DiBello and other board members, has created mandates for the school districts, but is providing financial relief - no property tax reform, no help with the increasing numbers districts are forced to pay to the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS), and no guidance on health care and union issues.

“[This budget] is not driven by this district, it’s not driven by this board and it’s not driven by this administration,” said DiBello. “It’s driven by the state and they’re not taking responsibility for it, and I’m done taking responsibility for them.”

DiBello, who serves on the finance fommittee, acknowledged the fact that the increase is slightly less than in the past, but the board “worked very hard together to minimize, as much as possible, those tax increases - we’re still forced into doing it.”

DiBello recognized State Representative Mark Painter’s work on behalf of school districts – Painter, former Limericke Tax Collector, recently addressed the House of Representatives regarding the state’s budget, saying that, while the state is not increasing taxes, the burden is now on local taxpayers.  

Board vice chair Joseph Ciresi took issue with payments for extra-curricular activities, including hourly rates for union members to attend events, oversee detention, homebound instruction, and professional development, for which roughly $1 million is allocated in the 2013-2014 budget, including $50 for some employees to attend events.

“I support extracurricular activities," said Ciresi. "What I don’t support is excessive pay for jobs that don’t need it.  When you’re stocking shelves at Giant for $8 per hour and seeing someone take tickets for $50 and your taxes are increasing, it’s not fair.”

DiBello agreed, stating that the cost of the teachers' union is more than just salaries.

“People have to start looking at the total compensation package that they’re receiving on annual basis, because that’s the money the district is putting out,” said DiBello.  “This is $1 million that the district is putting out… on top of health care, retirement, days off – it makes up a very large portion of our overall budget.”

This vote came on the heels of an announcement from board member Bernard Pettit that the Spring-Ford Education Association rejected a second contract agreement, which Pettie deemed to be “very fair."

The teachers’ contract expires on June 30, and for now both bodies are back at the bargaining table.

Spring-Ford Area School District Finance Director Timothy Anspach said that lacking a contract with teachers makes it “difficult” to plan budgeting.

School district solicitor Mark Fitzgerald told the board he would keep them apprised of updates regarding negotiations.