New Rochelle Revises Budget For 2nd Vote

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Board of Education took another crack at a budget for the ,2018-19 school year after the first one failed to garner 60 percent approval from the voting public. The new budget, which will be voted on June 19, is for $270.4 million, which is 4.14 percent more than the 2017-18 budget.

The tax levy increase budget to budget is 2.231 percent, which is within the state mandated tax cap, so it will only require a majority vote.

The newly adopted budget has an estimated tax rate of $785.72 per $1,000 of assessed value. That is a 2.47 percent increase over the current year.

SEE ALSO: Voters Reject New Rochelle's School Budget

The previous $272.8 million spending package was overwhelmingly rejected with 3,119 votes against the budget and 1,689 in favor. That budget was 5.08 percent above the current year. The tax levy increase was 3.89 percent, which exceeded the allowed tax cap, and thus required a 60 percent vote.

“By looking anew at all our expenses, we were able to produce a budget that advances the district’s core strategic goals and avoids any unnecessary cuts that would impact on our students or programs,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne. “By allocating resources responsibly, the budget also protects the fiscal health that we have worked so hard to improve in recent years.”

School officials said that, if the second budget vote fails to pass, New Rochelle would be subject to a contingency budget, which would limit the district to the amount of the prior year tax levy.

Areas where budgetary reductions could be necessary to comply with a contingency spending plan could include use of facilities and fields by community groups and organizations, non-mandated transportation, athletics and extracurricular activities and staff positions.

A public hearing on the new budget will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 5 in the library of New Rochelle High School, 265 Clove Rd.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 19.

For more information, including how to get an absentee ballot, go here.

Photo credit: NRED.org.