SoLeHi School Board Raises Taxes

With a narrow margin of 5-4,  the Southern Lehigh school board voted to increase taxes by a quarter millage on Monday. The proposal narrowly passed after similar proposals to increase taxes by half a millage and no tax increase failed to pass. The meeting began, however, with the board continuing to try and make up a million dollar deficit in 2011-2012 school year budget. The annual budget was over $1 million short after cut state spending on the school. , and began budget discussions around how much to raise taxes in the district.

“We’ve been through the list,” said board member William Miracle. “I see no reason to go back to it. In my mind, our only task is to decide what kind of tax we put in with that budget.”

Miracle first proposed a tax increase of half a millage. With little discussion the motion was voted down.  The discussion then turned to whether or not the district should be raising taxes at all.

“We’re going to have to do a lot to close our deficits,” said board member Elizabeth Stelts. “What we should do is just have no taxes.”

“Our budget projection has never been accurate,” board member John Quigley said. “I don’t feel comfortable acting on a tax increase.”

The board voted to pass the budget with no tax increase, but this too failed to pass.

“It’s going to have to be a combination of tax increases and cuts,” President Michael Eddinger said.

Finally the board moved to vote on a motion to pass the budget with a .25 millage tax increase, the very tax increase that was originally proposed on the agenda. Again, with little discussion the motion was voted on. This time it narrowly passed 5-4. The preliminary budget, then, was passed for the time being.

“There’s no question,” Eddinger said before the vote, “that the millage we adopt tonight won’t be final.”

As the board moved on, some members questioned if anything had even been accomplished. “Is this just a gesture on our part?” board member John Quigley asked aloud.