More Than $9 Million School Tax Bill for Rye Neck

An old adage claims that nothing is certain but death and taxes.

That certainly is the case for Rye Neck residents, who will pay more than $9 million in school taxes to the city and town of Rye this year.

On Wednesday, the Rye City Council voted to levy $9.7 million in taxes to 400 households within the Rye Neck school district for the 2010-2011 school year. A small section of Rye Neck is considered part of Rye Town, while the area also constitutes part of Mamaroneck.

Each household within the Rye portion of the Rye Neck-Union Free School District will pay more than $672 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value on a homestead property. The non-homestead tax rate will be more than $871 per $1,000 of assessed value.

A portion of Rye's share of the tax levy is attributable to STAR exemptions, which provides school tax relief to homeowners by exempting the first $30,000 of the full value of a home from school taxes. The state reimburses Rye and other school districts for STAR exemptions.

Councilwoman Paula Gamache, a Greenhaven resident, said school taxes comprise a hefty portion of what she and other Rye Neck residents pay to live in the area.

"School taxes take up the biggest piece of your tax bill. City taxes are [only] 14 percent of the tax bill in Rye Neck and 16 percent of the tax bill in Rye City schools." she said.

The new tax rates could undergo minor adjustments before being adopted by the Rye Neck-Union Free School District at its next board meeting.