Tax Cap and Improvement Projects Discussed at BOE Meeting

The June 9 Sayville Board of Education meeting started with and moved right into the regularly scheduled business.

John Belmonte, Sayville’s Assistant Superintendent of Business, addressed those in attendance regarding an agenda item calling for a contract that the school district has entered into for a series of capital improvement projects throughout the district to improve energy consumption.

According to Belmonte, the project will cost $7.1 million, but it pays for itself. “This project will pay for itself by the savings it is generating,” he said. “It is guaranteed because the contractor will pay the difference.”

Some of the projects include the installation and upgrade of certain equipment including lighting, energy management systems upgrade, boiler controllers, transformer replacement, computer power managements and ceiling replacement at various school buildings.

Superintendent Dr. Walter Schartner presented his report, which included an update on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed two percent tax cap. He cited documentation from the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

If the tax cap is approved, next year, 60 percent of the vote would be required to gain approval for a proposed tax levy increase that was greater than the 2 percent cap.

Hypothetically, if that were in place this year, the budget passed by just 17 votes over the required 60 percent. Schartner also explained that if the tax cap were in place this year, an additional $3.7 million would have had to be cut from the budget, which equates to approximately 49 positions in the district.

School Board Member John Verdone said that he recently met with New York State Senator Lee Zeldin and New York State Assemblyman Al Graf, along with Schartner and other members of the board.

“Zeldin said that the tax cap is likely, but we need to stress to them that there needs to be a discussion of mandate relief simultaneously with the discussion of the tax cap,” said Verdone.

Verdone said that the tax cap, if approved, would impact next year’s budget, but mandate relief would not be discussed before the board needs to set the budget for next year and this needs to change.

“It we expect education to look like it does now and continue the success we saw tonight, we have to put some pressure on the governor and legislators. It is not too late – this has not passed yet,” said Schartner, who urged residents to contact their elected officials in Congress and the Assembly and tell them this cap would hurt the district.

Schartner said that he, along with the board, plans on having solid information on how the tax cap would potentially impact Sayville in September and will present a five-year projection at that time.

Moving-Up Ceremonies

The times for some moving up ceremonies were printed incorrectly – all elementary moving up ceremonies will take place at 9:30 a.m. Sunrise Drive is set for June 21, Cherry Avenue on June 22 and Lincoln Avenue on June 23. The Middle School moving up ceremony is set for June 22 at 4:30 p.m. and the High School graduation is set for June 25 at 10 a.m.