By Carol P. Bartold, Senior Reporter

May 10, 2017: Bronxville voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, May 16, for the annual school trustee election and budget referendum. Voting will take place in The Bronxville School's Blue Gym. Polls will open at 7:00 am and close at 9:00 pm.

The referendum ballot will comprise the $47.1 million school budget for 2017-2018, as well as school trustee candidates Michael Finley and Jennifer Russo. Finley and Russo were nominated to replace board vice president Dr. Mary Giuffra and trustee Adele Murray, whose terms expire in June.

The Bronxville Board of Education held its annual budget hearing on Thursday, May 4, as part of its regular meeting. The hearing, required by law, offers an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions and/or address concerns about the budget. The board adopted the budget at its March meeting. No members of the public came forward to comment.

Dan Carlin, assistant superintendent for business, noted that the budget calls for a 1.57 percent tax levy increase and is $12,400 under the district's calculated allowable tax levy cap of 1.6 percent for 2017-2018. The board approved the appropriation of $500,000 of the district's fund balance to reduce the tax levy to within the allowable limit.

The district will raise approximately $42 million of the 2017-2018 budget through the tax levy. Carlin anticipates that the bulk of the remaining $5.1 million will be raised through both special and regular education tuition receipts, state aid, and interest.

Carlin stated that core costs of operating the school district for 2017-2018, primarily salaries, private school transportation, and health insurance premiums, will increase by approximately $1.2 million. Offsetting those increased costs will be a $545,000 decrease in pension contributions for teachers and staff. The decision not to offer a retirement incentive in 2017-2018 will save the district approximately $240,000.

"I think this budget is good," Carlin said. "We used to spend the first part of budget deliberations deciding where we needed to be. The tax cap takes a lot of that drama out of it."

Board president Jeffrey Rohr explained that, on a continuing year-to-year basis, assuming no increase in pension costs, the district experiences an approximate 3 percent increase in costs. He emphasized that, although the 2017-2018 tax cap stands at 1.57 percent, "it doesn't mean we'll be able to get there the same way next year."

Rohr thanked the finance committee of the board for its diligent work on the budget. "This is a great result for us one more time," he said.

Pictured here:  Standing (L to R): Jonathan Atkeson, board president Jeffrey Rohr, Superintendent Dr. David Quattrone, Dr. John Bierwirth, and Tom Curran; seated (L to R): Adele Murray, board vice president Dr. Mary Giuffra, and Arleen Thomas. 

Photo by N. Bower