Lindenhurst BOE Postpones 2012-13 Budget Finalization

After reviewing a four-phase plan of expenditure cuts it requested from Superintendent Richard Nathan, the Lindenhurst Board of Education elected to postpone until April 18 at 8 p.m.

This was due to several reasons, including not knowing the final state aid number the district will receive amid reports that the New York state budget is close to being finished.

Given that unknown the board felt it could make some expenditure cuts, but couldn't make a final decision about how much, if any, reserves it should use to bring the tax rate under the 3.57 percent tax-cap limit currently set forth by NYS.

Trimming the Budget
The board began 's with an expenditure number of $2.6 million, representing a 1.83 percent year-over-year increase, according to Assistant Superintendent of Business Jackie Scrio.

That included Phase One cuts to instructional and non-instructional personnel - - across the district as a result of declining enrollments and some program adjustments, according to Nathan.

By the end of the night expenditures were trimmed back to $1.9 million by $623,000 in programs. This represents a 1.39 percent year-over-year increase, according to Scrio.

(For a breakdown of cuts in the four-phase plan, click , and click and for related opinion pieces.)

That boils down to a tax rate of 4.48 percent currently, which is above the 3.57 percent tax-cap limit as set forth by New York state and its tax-cap formula and the moving-target calculations and capital exemptions contained in it.

"We're looking at all phases of the budget and a list of further cuts to bring the tax rate further down," BOE President Ed Murphy, Jr. explained.

The goal for the BOE, he said, is to and come in under 3.57 percent. The board and administration agreed that three percent could ensure the cap isn't pierced based on current NYS guidelines.

To help get there Murphy did entertain a motion to use $1.3 million in reserves at the end of the meeting despite not knowing the - which could increase as a result of some $200 million in proposed competitive grants for schools being possibly put back into the school aid pool, according to legislators.

That would've brought down the tax rate to 2.98 percent. However, that was defeated because the board didn't want to drain reserves that have seen a drop from $8 million in 2010 to $4.2 million this year.

A Second Look
Several members and a harder look at cutting expenditures at the .

"We have to look at contractual commitments, and I urge my colleagues to look at additional expenditure cuts, or we'll be out of reserves next year," said Ray Doran.

Val McKenna agreed: "It hurts like hell to cut programs, but there's no money in the till. We have to go back and find some more."

Resident Maria Kalish also urged the board to take a second look: "Please think of your obligation to the taxpayers. We need to take care of them."

Contract Talks
In addition, several board members brought up the on-going contract negotiations with five, soon to be six, bargaining units, including TAL () and how that could positively affect the 2012-13 budget.

"If they all took true zeroes for just one year, how much would that keep in the budget?" asked Julie Bartolomeo.

The superintendent put the number at almost $2 million: "That's the teachers, and without any steps or increments (raises), it's $1.8 million."

"We probably wouldn't have to use much in reserves either," added Murphy.

When former BOE Member Robert Spero asked the status of the negotiations, Murphy said, "We continue to negotiate, and we continue to be hopeful."

Doran added: "We have made some positive inroads with some of the units."

But, in the end, with all of the unknowns and another request to see even more cuts, the board decided to move the 2012-13 budget adoption to April 18.

Next week's , where the BOE going to meet to adopt the budget, will now be a regular at the at 8 p.m. There budget talks will continue.

Editor's Note: Don't forget to share your thoughts and concerns about this year's budget process for the with Lindenhurst Patch on the site in the comments section of articles about the topic like this one, on Facebook and Twitter, and by e-mailing barbara.loehr@patch.com with an opinion piece.