Tax rate question to appear on ballot
DEEMSTON – The Bethlehem-Center School District held their final public hearing concerning the tax referendum question appearing on the spring ballot. The question will read as follows: “Do you favor imposing an additional 0.4 percent earned income tax? The revenue generated from the increased tax rate will be used to reduce taxes on qualified residential properties by $144.28. The current earned income tax rate is 0.5 percent.”
The state-mandated question is going before voters after the state required each school district to form a tax-study commission last year.
The commission recommended the percentage amount, explained President Sandra Yohe.
“All we plugged in was the percentage,” she commented. “Beth-Center went with the lowest they could.”
The state is requiring school districts across the Commonwealth to include the referendum question on their spring ballot.
Yohe noted that a non-legal interpretive statement explaining matters will also be available to view at the polls.
In other matters, the board voted to revise the school calendar to reflect snow days. The last day of school after the strike was June 15, but is now June 21.
Superintendent Karen Downie explained that senior announcements will not read a specific date because of the revisions.
In an unrelated matter, the board is scheduled to meet this week in arbitration with the teachers’ association.
The board’s next planning meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 26 with the regular meeting to follow.