The Sag Harbor School Board on Monday adopted a $45.99-million spending plan that will be put up for a community vote on May 17. The proposal is unchanged from the last time it was discussed, on March 21, with one notable exception: New York State’s governor and Legislature have reached an agreement on their own budget, which will lead to more state money for Sag Harbor. That amount, $175,386, will bring state funding up to $2.02 million and be put toward the tax levy, so that the district does not have to dip deeper into its savings — or make drastic cuts — to balance the budget.
It’s “a rather large increase, year to year,” said Jennifer Buscemi, the business administrator.
With a 2.5-percent tax-levy increase, the district will comply with state rules on those increases for the 11th straight year. Because of factors unique to Sag Harbor, such as debt payments and real estate development, that number is different from the “2-percent tax cap” that people are accustomed to hearing about.
There will also be a separate proposition on the May 17 ballot seeking permission to use capital reserve money for an overhaul of heating, cooling, and ventilation systems at Sag Harbor Elementary School and Pierson Middle and High School. That sum, $2.5 million, will not increase taxes, Ms. Buscemi said, because the money has already been set aside for such a project.