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Thread: Lancaster school taxes ! High and Higher .

  1. #16
    Member Lancastermom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    The District is not proposing an increase to the tax cap limit. It is stating that considering the Tax Levy Limit Calculation formula (town growth factor, IDA PILOTS, and other exclusionary line items in the budget) that its allowable tax levy cap is 3.72%. I also agree that increase percentage is too high and especially if the District gets an appropriate increase in state aid and if Greg is right in stating that the District has $20 million in rainy day funds; and now that GEP has ended.

    The District should be questioned on what is in the rainy day fund as Greg has remained moot on how he knows this – and an answer should be provided. The Town includes its Reserved and Un-appropriated Fund Balances in its budget report.

    At the first budget work session increased spending in Department requests and increases in non-instructional staff totaled $357,476. At the second work session increased spending in contractual instructional services, BOCES, health, athletics, library, etc increased by $2.45 million over last year. Of that increase $1.6 million (64%) is for salary increases. So as of now the District is looking at approximately $3 million in increased spending.

    According to the Lancaster Bee’s report on the second budget work session:

    Residents in the Lancaster Central School District may see as much as a 3.2* percent rise in their school taxes this year, according to Jamie Phillips, assistant superintendent for business and support services, who laid out preliminary budget figures for Board of Education members at a work session Monday.
    She said that number, which would be the maximum the district could raise taxes without exceeding the state-mandated property tax cap, would be an approximately $1.85 million increase over last year’s levy of $49.4 million.

    According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget, Phillips said Lancaster will receive about $35.4 million in state aid for 2017-18, a figure that she didn’t expect the district to receive, given last year’s numbers.

    She indicated that in 2016-17, the governor estimated the district’s aid at $35.1 million, but LCS ultimately received only $34.3 million, or about $260,000 less than the $34.5 million the district budgeted for. She said the state Legislature’s estimate for 2016-17 was even higher at $35.9 million.

    “It’s just reinforcement that our calculations and our inclinations on what we’re going to receive in aid are a little bit more accurate,” she said, arguing that inaccuracy in state calculations stems from actions such as estimating transportation costs without including expenses that the state doesn’t pay for.


    So if the projected spending increase over last year is $3 million and with an allowable tax cap limit increase of 3.72 that would bring in $1.85 million, with no real information on what the District is going to receive in State Aid, and knowing that in the budget years of 2011- 15 the District was using $9-10 million dollars of rainy day funds to balance budgets where they were shorted in State Aid by $25 million (even using near $7 million last year with GEP gone), and considering this is budget review time where no budget proposal has been put forth for the BOE to vote approval on and pass on to the public for their approval, this is all speculation and much ado about nothing.

    I heartedly agree the District should be questioned on ‘rainy day’ reserves before anyone casts dispersion on anyone or makes unfounded allegations.

    * 3.72 percent

    Lee, the there was an article in the Lancaster Bee a few months back ( I read it) and possibly the Buffalo news if people searched it out. Nothing Greg said wasn't made public knowledge

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lancastermom View Post
    Lee, the there was an article in the Lancaster Bee a few months back ( I read it) and possibly the Buffalo news if people searched it out. Nothing Greg said wasn't made public knowledge
    In post #6 I asked Greg the following: How do you know that the district has $20 million in the rainy day fund? There was no response to the inquiry.

    You claim you read it in a Lancaster Bee publication. Now I am supposed to go back into the Bee and Buffalo News archives to search for proof of his claim?

    Well, I did go into the Lancaster Bee archives, back to the first 2017 January publication and did not find any report on LCSD that gave that ‘rainy day’ reserve number.

    Hopefully, Greg or you will provide the Bee date of publication that contains that information. It is truly important information, but as yet unsubstantiated.

  3. #18
    Member Neubs24's Avatar
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    Vallely made $185,000, not $260k (4x's $65k).

    Attachment 4658

  4. #19
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    In post #6 I asked Greg the following: How do you know that the district has $20 million in the rainy day fund? There was no response to the inquiry.
    Lee,

    There's nothing in the archives of the Lancaster Bee that I could find regarding $20,000,000 in reserves except for this article which was based on last summer's OSC report.
    http://www.lancasterbee.com/news/201..._reserves.html

    Lancaster schools questioned about reserves
    Superintendent cites volatile times as cause for saving
    by JULIE HALM AND LUCY LOPEZ Editor and Reporter

    An audit by the Office of the State Comptroller suggests that the Lancaster schools may be overtaxing residents, but district officials beg to differ.

    The examination of the district’s financial management practices, covering the period from July 1, 2012, through Dec. 8, 2015, noted that the district generally maintained unrestricted fund balance, or surplus, levels in accordance with statutory limits, but officials used budgeting practices that appropriated fund balance and reserves that were not actually used.

    According to the audit, the district routinely overestimated expenditures and, as a result, did not use an equivalent amount of appropriated fund balance and reserves as budgeted.

    “Once the appropriated fund balance not needed to finance operations is included in unrestricted fund balance, the district’s recalculated unrestricted fund balance ranges from 6 percent to 8 percent of the ensuing years’ appropriations for the fiscal years 2012-13 through 2014-15, exceeding the statutory limit,” the audit said.

    In addition, district officials consistently budgeted in the general fund for expenditures that could have been paid for with reserve funds, five of which appear to be overfunded by more than $18 million, the audit said.

    “As a result, the district has levied higher taxes than necessary,” the audit said.

    District Superintendent Michael Vallely was quick to point out, however, that Lancaster residents will in fact see a small decrease in their tax bill this year of approximately 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

    In addition to the decrease in taxes, Vallely said his district is looking ahead and budgeting wisely in the event of darker days.

    “We’ve been one of the best school districts in the state regarding spending. Funds remain in designated reserves so when those waves and bumps come unpredictably we’ll be ready to weather those storms,” he said.

    Specifically, a letter written from the district to the Office of the State Comptroller said, “As the comptroller is well aware, there is no guarantee that the economy will remain stable and that the finances for the State of New York will not be such that measures such as freezing Foundation Aid, introducing another deficit reduction or gap elimination adjustment, or further limiting the local ability to raise funds through the property tax levy will not be a possibility again.”

    According to Vallely, the district has had a reduction in state aid of nearly $25 million since 2010-11 as a result of the gap elimination adjustment.

    Additionally, the district has not received a total of more than $97 million from New York State due to a lack of phasing in and fully funding the Foundation Aid formula, according to the superintendent.

    The superintendent and Lancaster Board President Patrick Uhteg also released a written statement following the report, which said, in part, “The board of education was pleased that the State Comptroller’s audit did not identify any instances of fraud, wrongdoing, misappropriation, instances of waste or instances of misuse.”

    This is the report it was based on-
    http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/.../lancaster.pdf

    Georgia L Schlager

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  6. #21
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Trying to learn how to post pictures and facts . Be patient . But these are the facts . Lee, I am not ignoring these wonderful readers but I must work . Neubs24 ? Valley made 185,000 ? Wow that is quite a pay raise! 201,000. I ask our fellow readers DID you get a raise in your salary, paycheck , or social security?? Because Dr. valley got his!!!! Or did the LANCASTER SCHOOL BOARD RUBBER STAMP CLUB GIVE DR. Valley a golden 5 year contract ? Readers do your own homework ,Lee claims I am cherry picking ? Well I heard all about the awards for valley and the school board ranked#2 then #6 and now # 14 . So in the world according to Lee is the state audit of Lancaster school financials wrong ? Or do Lancaster residents deserve a tax cut ?

  7. #22
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    In addition, district officials consistently budgeted in the general fund for expenditures that could have been paid for with reserve funds, five of which appear to be overfunded by more than $18 million, the audit said.

    “As a result, the district has levied higher taxes than necessary,” the audit said.

    District Superintendent Michael Vallely was quick to point out, however, that Lancaster residents will in fact see a small decrease in their tax bill this year of approximately 8 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
    ****Lancaster residents at the last town board meeting it was mentioned that new evaluations on our homes and property must be done soon . The dark clouds of raising OUR Taxes grows near again . ****

  8. #23
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Greg Sojka:
    Valley made 185,000 ? Wow that is quite a pay raise! 201,000
    The salary disclosure statement states that Vallaly's salary for 2016-17 is $191,227 not $201,000,
    which is 3% more than his 2015-16 salary of $185,657.

    What do the teachers' get?
    3% step and .5% wage increase

    So, the teachers get 3.5% and the superintendent gets 3% and he is in the wrong

    Georgia L Schlager

  9. #24
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Greg Sojka:
    ****Lancaster residents at the last town board meeting it was mentioned that new evaluations on our homes and property must be done soon . The dark clouds of raising OUR Taxes grows near again . ****
    Re-evals don't necessarily mean higher taxes. Re-evals are an attempt to have everyone pay their fair share. JMHO

    Georgia L Schlager

  10. #25
    Member Greg Sojka's Avatar
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    Dr. Valley every April asks for another year extension to his 5 year contract . He gets his raises every year and continues on his 5 year deal . Most other school districts have a 3 year contract . I ask again To Lancaster residents did you get your yearly raise in salary, paycheck , or social security ? Do Lancaster teachers get a 5 year contract? Do Lancaster police get a 5 year contract ? The hardest working Lancaster highway,forestry, and recreation deptment do you have a 5 year contract?

  11. #26
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Sojka View Post
    Dr. Valley every April asks for another year extension to his 5 year contract .
    That shows that he knows how to read his contract. Apparently, not all people do.


    http://seethroughny.net/contracts/sc...er%20-%20S.pdf

    Georgia L Schlager

  12. #27
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    Nice find Gorja. The article was published on September 28, 2016 and concerned an OSC audit made a year prior on LCSD reserves (June 2015). Since that time the district has spent another $5.7 of reserve money to balance the 2016-17 budget years.

    So which is it Greg, $20 million in reserves as you now state it is; $18 million as reported by the OSC in June 2015; or $18 million - $5.7 (used in the 2016-17 budget) = $12.3 million? And as we are at a point where we have no idea what the state is going to provide in aid and therefore have no idea what the district is going to use in reserves, when the public hearing day on the final budget arrives it would behoove you to ask the BOE what amount remains in the unreserved funds after this year’s usage. That has never been asked before; to my knowledge.

    Even if Superintendent Vallely received a 3% salary increase and is now making $191,000, that is nowhere near 4X a $65,000 salary and considering some teachers with 21 years tenure are earning $93,000 a year and some near $100,000 your example is misleading. Teachers K-6 received 4.25% salary increases and teachers 7-12 received 4.02%. Kind of makes Dr. Vallely’s 3% increase fall in line, eh.

    I would hope that readers would examine the OSC report Gorga posted and read in full Dr, Valley’s return comments and the final determination. If as alleged by the LTCA union during 2009 contract negotiations that the district had $41 million in reserves. It appears the district has been spending down the reserves during GEA and that school district residents were quite fortunate to have the funds to cover the state aid decreases ($25 million – as well as $97 million less in foundation aid). And at same time closing a school and cutting back on things not people and programs.

    http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/.../lancaster.pdf

    You openly show that you despise Vallely, discredit him on most school agenda items and blame him for everything. Yet it is the 7 member Board of Education that has the say on everything. And outside of two members who also would like to see him gone they find him well qualified in his position. Well, two of the pro Dr. Valley school board members are not running this year, so is this the first volley to get board members on that will seek his removal.

    No Greg, I have no received a social security increase in three years. I also pay $340 per month in health coverage and have no dental or vision coverage. I have no family members attending Lancaster schools. Yet I have supported budget approvals in the past 5 years because I like the product the district is putting out and have been willing to pay the administrative, teacher and staff salary increases that come in three year contracts (3.45% - 4.25% this year), and that include dental and vision in their health care for under $200 per month; and retire with pensions of $60,000 or more (that I help pay for).

    I want to see the kids get a good education and succeed in life. And unlike your encouraging kids to opt out of state test, I just don’t get it.

    You also wrote:

    ****Lancaster residents at the last town board meeting it was mentioned that new evaluations on our homes and property must be done soon. The dark clouds of raising OUR Taxes grows near again .****

    Yes Greg, it was mentioned but does not appear to be imminent as the town’s equalization rate is still high at 92%. To do a reval would cost $150,000 - $200,000, does not increase town valuation, and where in doing one the down no longer gets $5 per parcel in state funding to offset the reval cost.

    And when a reval is done it is likely that 1/3rd will have assessments increased and pay more in taxes, 1/3rd will have reduced assessment and pay less in taxes and 1/3rd will experience no change.

  13. #28
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    I don't care because I don't live there but, without regard to assessment changes, no one knows what will happen to taxes until they know the amount of the levy. The levy, folks, the levy...that's what tells you about taxes.

  14. #29
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    The only question is, is when and how high will your property & school taxes go before you won't be able to afford them ? Like all of us former WNY's are saying, You get what you deserve.

  15. #30
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    The one thing that I absolutely know for sure is that my school taxes will definitely go down this year as this is my first year utilizing the Enhanced STAR.

    Georgia L Schlager

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