Poll: How Will the NYS Tax Cap Affect Lindenhurst Schools?

There's been a lot of news in Lindenhurst concerning the New York state this past month.

Government
For one the Lindenhurst Village Board of the tax cap guidelines before Christmas to give it wiggle room, but Mayor Tom Brennan gave the mandate to keep to the two-percent tax cap guidelines.

Just after the new year began the Village Board a $10.9 million budget for 2012-13, which, according to Village officials, still kept to the tax-cap guidelines set forth by the NYS Comptroller's office.

Schools
And this week also saw the release of figures for , including Lindenhurst, but the Schools Superintendent Richard Nathan and Board of Education President Ed Murphy, Jr. with what the numbers released.

And they expressed their feelings at the on .

In addition, the superintendent continued to maintain that the could potentially have an adverse effect in a community that continues to struggle right along with the economy, instead of producing the relief so many who for relief of higher taxes intended via the passage of the tax cap.

To that end he encouraged to the annual at the on Saturday, , and come with questions for their local like NYS State Senator Johnson and Robert - both of whom have traditionally attended in the past.

Effects
However, according to one Lindenhurst resident, John Lisi, the potential effects of the tax cap could have on the government and the school system - especially the students - are something potentially damaging for the community and confusing for residents to understand - unless they educate themselves by attending the upcoming .

(The dates are listed on Lindenhurst Patch and , and here on the district website, which also lists a link to a SCSSA tax cap survey).

Lisi, president of the Daniel Street Civic Association, has been for lower taxes for the sake of the homeowners and seniors in the community, but also now recognizes the same thing the Superintendent told the community in his back in November.

That is: The new tax cap - in place for the next five years - will force districts like Lindenhurst to trim budgets to the bone so that it doesn't raise the tax levy by more than two percent or CPI (Consumer Price Index), whichever is less.

In turn, that gives the BOE two options for Lindy schools.

The district could put out to vote on May 15 a budget that features a tax levy that’s higher than two percent or CPI, two separate times.

However, if it fails both times - which could happen since a district would need a 60 percent supermajority to pass such a budget, which Lindenhurst hasn't seen in 16 years, Nathan has - then the alternative is contingency.

And that would now mean a zero percent tax levy increase instead of pre-tax cap contingency parameters (CPI times approved expenditures of previous year equaling a maximum allowable increase in expenditures).

It’s a risk that some wealthier districts might take next May, Nathan noted back on November 16.

“For some districts who don’t rely as much on state aid as we do, I’ve been told that they might go out with a higher budget,” he said.

Lisi acknowledges the possible negative effects, and the tough options the schools face in the upcoming budget season. In fact, he's been going to the and talking to his civic association and members of the others in Lindenhurst.

He's told them it's not as simple as voting down a budget that would produce a higher tax lavy in favor of saving programs for the students. This time, if they simply vote it down, then the schools' continengcy would be a zero percent increase, and therefore cause almost draconian cuts to student programs.

So, he - like Nathan and Murphy - has been encouraging fellow residents, parents and homeowners to become involved and attend the budget workshops this year.

They all agree, for various reasons, that the tax cap could have an ill effect on Lindenhurst, a middle-class community that doesn't really have big business to offset a property tax burden, like some other wealthier communities on Long Island and upstate.

Your Thoughts
So, given all that's at stake, Lindenhurst Patch wants to know what you think of the new tax cap.

Do you think the new law was designed properly, or will it have unintended consequences on the local Village government and Lindy schools?

Weigh in below in the comment section and take our poll.