PCS Board of Education members Fuller and Davis voted against the school's budget on Monday night. They recognize that voters may be disconcerted when they discover that Potsdam may be the only district in the county that opted to go above the tax cap.
These members also realize that the BOE will ask the public for more money this fall for a capital project. The Board, by voting to exceed the tax cap, has gambled with the budget. Why take a needless risk?
All BOE members should know that it was reported last May that "Property owners in Potsdam pay the highest effective tax rates in the North Country - more than double the regional median..."
The report further stated, "The average effective tax rate in Potsdam came to $49.89 per $1,000 of property value, compared to a North Country regional median of $24.57 and a statewide median of $27.43."
Potsdam's tax burden will be a key issue again next year because the fiscal crisis will not be over by then and because properties will be re-valued. Kudos to Board members who are looking at the big picture.
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