ECS budget increase

By DAVID HULSE

GLEN SPEY, NY — The numbers won’t be final until the state legislature approves school aid numbers in their budget, but as of now Eldred Central School officials are anticipating a near-double digit increase in the 2004-05 district tax levy.

The board of education on April 15 approved the $11,220,136 spending plan, which represents a 9.48-percent increase in spending.

District Business Manager Dan Grecco said several non-discretionary cost increases were involved including increases of 28 percent for general insurance, 18 percent for health insurance, 73.5 percent for teacher retirement contributions, and 145 percent for non-faculty employee retirement contributions.

Superintendent Ivan Katz said overall spending was cut to the bone during the board’s budget workshops, reducing initial proposed spending increases from 13.7 percent to 9.48 percent.

Board president Bob Burrow said any additional cuts would have meant serious program cuts which would have to be made by the taxpayers.

Member Andrew Boyar said the budget process was frustrating in that the costs increases were “totally out of our control.”

Grecco said the tax levy number probably wouldn’t be known the August approval of the state budget and completion of new district tax rolls. New construction and growth in Lumberland and Highland could reduce the individual tax increase and the state legislature traditionally increases the more conservative aid figure in the governor’s budget.