Moon School Board Votes 'No' on Preliminary Budget with Tax Increase

members unanimously rejected a preliminary budget that called for a .67 mill tax increase, despite a plea from Superintendent Donna Milanovich for the budget's passage. 

Milanovich urged board members to approve the measure, which she said would increase property taxes on a medium-size township home priced at $131,000 by $7.34 a month, but enable the district to maintain its academic offerings. 

Milanovich, citing increases in operational costs and steep decreases in state funding, said that without a tax increase the district would face cuts in programs, increased class sizes and perhaps the elimination of planned curriculum changes, such as all-day kindergarten. 

The district has not raised taxes in two years. She said the proposed preliminary budget included expenditures in salaries, benefits, Public Schools Employees Retirement costs and debt payments that increase the budget by $2.9 million.

"At some point, you have to raise taxes," Milanovich said. "You can't go year after year and not raise taxes." 

Milanovichsaid state and federal lawmakers have "pushed their revenue problems from their level to the local level." 

Board members rejected the measure in a 9-to-0 vote, instead requesting that Alan Bennett, director of fiscal services, further re-examine the budget and district expenditures. 

"We have residents over and over again who have said we don't want to raise taxes," said board member Laura Schisler. "The only thing I can think is to postpone planned spending."

Milanovichwarned that much of the spending increases reflect expenditures "beyond our control" and that cutting initiatives such as all-day kindergarten would not be enough to ward off a tax increase. 

"You can't have it all," Milanovichsaid. "If you can't raise taxes, you have to look at ways that you are able to provide programs.

"You have to make these hard decisions," she said. 

Other items of interest: 

• The board approved a series of change orders at no cost to the district for its middle school renovation project. The change orders will the planned May 1 completion and move-in of the building by one month. The building is still slated to open for students for the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year. 

• The board awarded a contract to Korniak Excavating at the low bid price of $5,900 for the demolition of the property at The board originally estimated the cost of the demolition to be $40,000. The cost of the project will be charged to the 2010 bond fund. The district purchased the residential property last year.