Today's Buffalo News did a great job analyzing Roy-Hart's vote slated for Tuesday. Here it is:
Royalton-Hartland
• Candidates (Elect 3 to three-year terms): Newcomers Keith A. Bond and Jeffrey Waters are running and incumbent Mary F. Smith has decided to wage a write-in campaign since she had decided not to run for re-election when petitions were due, but has since changed her mind.
• Total budget: $23,414,000, up 1.21 percent.
• Estimated property tax rate per $1,000 assessed value: $25.82 in Royalton; $21.65 in Hartland; $21.65 in the Town of Lockport; $22.79 in the Town of Alabama; $21.65 in Ridgeway; and $21.65 in Shelby — all up 3.89 percent.
• Total amount to be raised through property taxes: $8,817,789, up 3.9 percent. • Estimated taxes on a $100,000 home (market value): $2,582 in Royalton; $2,165 in Hartland, Lockport, Ridgeway and Shelby; and $2,279 in Alabama.
• Percentage of budget from property taxes: 37.66 percent.
• Percent of budget from state aid: 56.89 percent.
• Noteworthy: Despite a modest 2.46 percent increase in state aid, up $222,639, the district will be able to maintain its current academic and extracurricular programs, avoid layoffs and keep spending from rising above the 1.21 percent mark in its 2008-09 budget plan. Superintendent Paul J. Bona Jr. said he was disappointed that the state didn’t provide his rural agricultural community with a little more help, since most school district’s see at least a 3 percent or even higher increase in state aid, as all the other nine county districts did.
“Our aid was certainly not keeping pace with where we needed to be. We do more with less than anybody in the world,” he said.
He said Roy-Hart spends $6,751 per pupil, while similar districts spend more than $8,399 on each student. He said public school district’s statewide spend an average of $9,168 per student each year. The School Board was able to keep spending down because it is not replacing five teachers who are retiring in June, which will save the district about $450,000. The board is not filling those teaching slots because of the declining enrollment the district has experienced over the past several years. Bona said the district was fortunate this year in that the board was able to keep programs up without cutting back. “We’re not always going to have the benefit of being able to reduce staff through attrition,” Bona said. “That means if things continue on like this, we may either have to pass on more costs to local taxpayers or look at reductions in programs. These are the kind of things the district may have to face in future years.”
• Polls open: Noon to 9 p. m. in Royalton- Hartland High School gymnasium, 54 State St., Middleport.
When voters go to the polls, they will consider a $23.4 million budget that would increase spending by $290,683 over the current budget. Voters also will elect three candidates to serve three-years terms on the seven- member School Board:
•Keith A. Bond, 51, a stay-at-home dad.
•Jeffery Waters, 39, a sergeant with the Middleport Police Department.
•Mary F. Smith, 52, chief accountant for the Niagara County Treasurer’s Office.
Board members Susan Hughes and Margo Hall are not seeking re-election.
Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/niagaracounty/story/349792.html
Royalton-Hartland
• Candidates (Elect 3 to three-year terms): Newcomers Keith A. Bond and Jeffrey Waters are running and incumbent Mary F. Smith has decided to wage a write-in campaign since she had decided not to run for re-election when petitions were due, but has since changed her mind.
• Total budget: $23,414,000, up 1.21 percent.
• Estimated property tax rate per $1,000 assessed value: $25.82 in Royalton; $21.65 in Hartland; $21.65 in the Town of Lockport; $22.79 in the Town of Alabama; $21.65 in Ridgeway; and $21.65 in Shelby — all up 3.89 percent.
• Total amount to be raised through property taxes: $8,817,789, up 3.9 percent. • Estimated taxes on a $100,000 home (market value): $2,582 in Royalton; $2,165 in Hartland, Lockport, Ridgeway and Shelby; and $2,279 in Alabama.
• Percentage of budget from property taxes: 37.66 percent.
• Percent of budget from state aid: 56.89 percent.
• Noteworthy: Despite a modest 2.46 percent increase in state aid, up $222,639, the district will be able to maintain its current academic and extracurricular programs, avoid layoffs and keep spending from rising above the 1.21 percent mark in its 2008-09 budget plan. Superintendent Paul J. Bona Jr. said he was disappointed that the state didn’t provide his rural agricultural community with a little more help, since most school district’s see at least a 3 percent or even higher increase in state aid, as all the other nine county districts did.
“Our aid was certainly not keeping pace with where we needed to be. We do more with less than anybody in the world,” he said.
He said Roy-Hart spends $6,751 per pupil, while similar districts spend more than $8,399 on each student. He said public school district’s statewide spend an average of $9,168 per student each year. The School Board was able to keep spending down because it is not replacing five teachers who are retiring in June, which will save the district about $450,000. The board is not filling those teaching slots because of the declining enrollment the district has experienced over the past several years. Bona said the district was fortunate this year in that the board was able to keep programs up without cutting back. “We’re not always going to have the benefit of being able to reduce staff through attrition,” Bona said. “That means if things continue on like this, we may either have to pass on more costs to local taxpayers or look at reductions in programs. These are the kind of things the district may have to face in future years.”
• Polls open: Noon to 9 p. m. in Royalton- Hartland High School gymnasium, 54 State St., Middleport.
When voters go to the polls, they will consider a $23.4 million budget that would increase spending by $290,683 over the current budget. Voters also will elect three candidates to serve three-years terms on the seven- member School Board:
•Keith A. Bond, 51, a stay-at-home dad.
•Jeffery Waters, 39, a sergeant with the Middleport Police Department.
•Mary F. Smith, 52, chief accountant for the Niagara County Treasurer’s Office.
Board members Susan Hughes and Margo Hall are not seeking re-election.
Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/niagaracounty/story/349792.html
