Published: January 20, 2008 10:57 pm            

Central Cambria school board split on tax hike

EBENSBURG — Another property tax hike looms for the Central Cambria school district, where residents already have seen steep increases in three of the past four years.

The school board is split: Jackson Township members are against an increase, while members in Ebensburg Borough and Cambria Township are in favor of it.

“Revenues are up, expenses are down, much more money than usual is expected from the state, there is no deficit – and there is no need to raise taxes,” said civic activist Ed Smith of Jackson Township.

School board member Patricia Allbaugh, also of Jackson Township, was blunt with her colleagues at a meeting earlier this month: “I believe that I am one of the only ones on this board who knows how poor and middle-income people struggle each day to just survive. I work with patients on a daily basis who are forced to make difficult decisions regarding purchasing medications, or paying their fuel bills or buying groceries.”

“I am a firm believer in operating within the confines of our budget, which appears to me to be adequate without any increase in taxes,” she added.

The comments were made as the board reviewed its preliminary budget for the 2008-2009 school year. The final budget will not be adopted until late spring.

The preliminary budget calls for a $19.6 million in spending and requires a 2.5 mill property tax increase, which school administrators said probably will be necessary by the time contract negotiations and capital project decisions are completed.

The district saw a two-mill increase in 2006 and a six-mill increase in 2005.

Allbaugh and fellow Jackson Township board member Frank Singel balked at the need for higher taxes as enrollment continues to drop and subsidies continue to increase.

“I am very cautious about making a quick decision, and I think we should put a lot more time into the budget,” Singel said as he voted against the tax hike.

“How can we, living in the heart of Appalachia, continue to spend money as if we were funded by the wealthy folks living in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Silicon Valley?” Allbaugh said.

But others, including board member and finance committee Chairman Ron Mastrine, stressed that the figure is preliminary and must be submitted to the state.

Superintendent Susan Makosy said that at least 68 percent of the proposed $19.6 million budget would fund salaries and benefits for the district’s 230 full- and part-time staff.

Mastrine, Scott Magley, Joseph Stephan, Jules Dill and Marcia Yesenosky-Shaheen voted in favor of the tax increase. Wayne Farabaugh was absent.

Smith told the school board a property tax increase should “only be considered as a last resort and not as the first, most expedient way to balance the budget.”

He urged board members to get copies of all budget requests and perform a line-by-line review of budget items.

Central Cambria board members also must decide on capital projects, including how much to spend on the middle school.

Options on the table include building a new middle school, renovating the current middle school building, or integrating middle schoolers into the high school building.

Real estate tax revenue provides 33 percent of the school district’s funding, while state sources provide 53 percent.

A final budget must be adopted by June 9.

        

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