UASB names tax study commission
The Uniontown Area School Board at a special meeting Wednesday appointed five members to the school district’s local tax study commission. No discussion preceded the appointments, a list of which is as follows: Wendy Burd, an insurance agent from Markleysburg; Claudette Franks, a rental property owner from Uniontown; Odilia “Dee” A. John, a realtor from Uniontown; Charles “Chuck” Thomas, a mail carrier from Smock; and Thomas R. George, a business owner/retiree from Farmington.
School Director William Rittenhouse Jr. was appointed as an alternate.
Commission members are to review the school district’s tax structure and make recommendations to the school board regarding increasing or establishing an earned income tax or creating a personal income tax, with the revenue collected dedicated to reducing local property taxes. The appointments were a requirement under the Pennsylvania Taxpayer Relief Act, a recently enacted law designed to reduce property taxes for homeowners statewide.
The work of the commission is expected to aid school boards in preparing a referendum question for the May 2007 primary election ballot regarding any changes in tax rates.
Today is the deadline for school districts to appoint a five-, seven- or nine-member commission that reflects the socioeconomic, age and occupational diversity of the school district.
While one member can be a school board director, no appointee can be a school district official or employee, or relative of someone affiliated with the school district, according to the law.
A joint training for school board and tax commission members countywide is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. at the Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School.
Dr. Dave Devare of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association is scheduled to speak on the commission’s rules, responsibilities and ultimate goal to submit a study for a front-end referendum in the primary election, according to Uniontown Area School District business manager Floyd Geho.
Rittenhouse and fellow school directors Ron Machesky, Susan Clay, Tammy Boyle and Ken Meadows were present for the special meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the high school band room. This is the board’s regular monthly meeting.
The board also conducted the following business:
– Adopted a policy requiring central office administration and high school principals to attend regular monthly board meetings and submit written reports of activity in their buildings. The policy will take effect at the October meeting.
Rittenhouse, who made the motion for the policy, said the requirement was talked about before and will allow board members to receive input, when needed, from administration and staff on issues needing addressed at regular board meetings.
– Agreed to hire Jennifer Sible as a math teacher at the high school and Laura Voelker as a fifth-grade elementary teacher at Lafayette School.
– Accepted the resignation of Michael Houck as a part-time school district security officer, and granted permission for Chief of School Police Don Homer to advertise for a replacement.
– Accepted the resignation of Ramona J. Morgan as a cafeteria worker at the Iowa Street kindergarten center, and approved hiring Dawn Wiltrout in her place. The board also approved hiring Leslie Cesarino as a cafeteria worker at Wharton School.
– Entered into executive session for personnel matters and possible litigation.