The East Williston School Board wants taxpayers to approve a 3.56 percent increase in property taxes.
This would represent the highest tax increase since 2008/09. Amazingly this increase is despite a teachers’ salary freeze and the lowest student enrollment in nine years.
Ironically, in the budget bulletin mailing the school board cites employee health-insurance costs as a “challenge” to producing a reasonable budget. What they don’t say is that the board just completed contract negotiations and failed to do anything about taxpayers continuing to pay for 80 percent of all family and individual health-insurance premiums.
The board now aims to “punish” taxpayers if they fail to approve the budget. Apparently they will use $500,000 of reserve funds (which is also known as unspent taxpayer dollars) in the regular budget but, if the budget is voted down they will not use that same amount in a contingency budget.
Is this coercion, blackmail, extortion or simply arrogance in demanding a yes vote on the budget? I guess the board is hopping for another all day severe rainstorm on May 19!
Ray Granderson
Albertson
