Brownsville Board Oks budget with no tax hike
By Jenny Susa Herald-Standard
BROWNSVILLE – The Brownsville Area School Board passed its budget Monday, holding the line on any increase in property taxes.
Board members said that the millage for Fayette County remains at 10.08 mills and Washington County remains at 55.98 mills. Fayette County taxpayers will pay $100 for every $10,000 of their property’s assessed value, keeping in mind the assessed value is now 100 percent of market value after the countywide reassement.
The board approved a 2003-2004 general fund budget in the amount of $18, 385, 518.00, and a federal fund budget in the amount of $2, 168, 696.
Financial advisor Joe Musketello asked the board to consider an investment plan for the district’s high school/middle school building project.
Musketello said he checked into local banks to see which one would have the best interest rates.
He explained that he looked into CDs that the district could use without penalty, but found that the best place for the board to place its bonds would most likely be Citizens Bank.
“They will set you up with a checking account at 1.30 percent interest,” he said. “So you can invest money earning almost double what you’re getting right now from JP Morgan. It is fully flexible, and you can draw money on a day’s notice without penalty. This would probably be your best investment right now.”
Upon receiving the advice and reviewing an outline of the plan, the board unanimously voted to approve the investment plan. President Rocky Brashear said the money “will be used for the building project on an as needed basis.”
In other budget matters, the board approved budgetary transfers that were needed before the closing of the books for the 2002-2003 school year. Business manager Mike Huth explained that certain accounts had negative credit balances, which had to be offset.
“We must wipe out those negative balances with transfers from positive account balances so that we can make sure we are not in the red,” said Huth. “It is required that we have this done at the end of each school year.”
He said that the actual transfers will be presented at the next regular board meeting.
In another matter, Superintendent Gerry Grant, who is retiring from her post, addressed the board.
Grant said that for the most part, she is happy with what she has accomplished as superintendent.
“At retirement, I will have spent 37 years of my life in the field of education, 27 of them being spent in various positions within the Brownsville Area School District,” said Grant. “The time that I have spent here has been amicable, productive, and most gratifying.”
She said that she wanted to become superintendent in the district so that she could give back to the district she started out in as a student.
“I want to convey to the administrative, teaching and support staff, along with the board of education, my gratitude for the many kindnesses Brownsville area has shown me over the years. I feel it has been a privilege to have the opportunity to touch and be a part of so many young lives during my career.”
Grant said that while there are some goals that have not been reached yet, she feels satisfied with the ones that have.
“I’ll leave here with some remiss that the building project is not yet complete, but also with a lot of satisfaction that many of our goals are,” said Grant. “We had a deficit while I was here of $926,000, and now we are out of the deficit situation. We feel we have a healthier fund balance for next year, and we are building the funds for the renovation project so that the residents would not have to pay higher taxes to fund the project.”
Grant said that in the future, she would like to see one building for students in kindergarten through fifth grade for the entire district.
“I think that would benefit the students most,” said Grant.
She assured the board that although she was retiring, she would always be there if they needed her help.
“I’ll miss everyone here, but I’m going away feeling good about what we have accomplished,” said Grant. “I am confident that John Joseph will do his best for the district, and I will still be here if anyone needs help.”
Brashear said that Grant will be greatly missed, and noted that she kept on working until the last possible moment.
“She is a very hard worker, and we appreciate everything she has done here.”