posted Aug. 23 -

Skidmore-Tynan School Superintendent Brett Belmarez said he would like to see voters given the chance to voice their opinions on whether a higher tax rate should be adopted for the district.

Trustees have adopted a proposed tax rate of $1.04 — 13 cents less than what was recommended by the administration to balance the budget.

“If the decision were given to voters in the form of a tax rate election, there is a chance we wouldn’t have to make severe budget cuts,” he said. “With the tax rate being decided as it has, absent voter input, there is going to have to be budget cuts.”

Those budget cuts amount to about $225,000 in needed services.

A tax rate higher than $1.04 would require voter approval during the November election. A rate of $1.04 doesn’t require the rollback election to occur.

Rick Olivares, board president, said that he has heard from people in the community and they don’t want a tax hike.

“They don’t want their taxes raised,” he said.

Olivares said he was just doing what he believes the voters wanted when he voted for the $1.04 tax rate during the August board meeting.

“That is what I am trying to do,” he said.

On Monday, residents will have their chance to voice their opinions on the budget and proposed $1.04 tax rate per $100 property valuation during a public forum starting at 5:30 p.m. in the board room, followed by the board meeting at 6 p.m.

That rate does not include the 25 cents to pay for outstanding debts, which brings the total tax rate to $1.29.

Belmarez said he would like to see voters decide whether the tax rate should be increased to $1.17.

“By making the recommendation I made, it would have had to go to the voters,” he said.

The 25 cents is a set amount and trustees have no discretion on this amount, but the $1.04 is what the budget is based upon.

Belmarez said trustees could also still adopt a proposed tax rate of $1.12, which would balance the budget but not include any extra items such as two new buses, relocation of tennis courts and security fencing currently in the $1.17 budget.

Belmarez said they have reviewed the budget but have not been able to find the necessary cuts to balance the budget at $1.04.

“We could not find it,” he said. “I know the ways it can be done. As far as doing it without cutting a program or needed service, it is just not there.”

The budget, Belmarez said, has been developed since March around the higher tax rate of $1.17, which gives the district an additional $497,588 in state funding.

He added that if trustees adopted a tax rate of $1.12, plus the 25 cents to outstanding debts, the tax rate would remain the same as it is this year. Trustees could adopt the higher rate because overall property value increases in the area have lowered the debt portion of the tax rate by eight cents.

Included on the agenda for Monday’s board meeting is also an item for trustees to discuss adopting a proposed tax rate higher than $1.04. This would mean adopting the budget by month’s end and, following another public meeting, adopting a new tax rate.

The budget, Belmarez said, needs to be adopted by the end of the month, but trustees have until the end of September to adopt the tax rate.