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Not sure about Suffolk but in Nassau if the budget fails they'll have a revote and many times it passes on the revote due to fear mongering. The kids will suffer, cut programs, taxes will skyrocket under the contingency budget, etc...employees never get touched though. The kids can suffer but not the employees.
I received a notice from the district. It outlined budget amounts - previous, current proposed and austerity (if current budget did not pass). I still don't understand how, but the "austerity" number was _lower_ than the proposed budget.
Of course, all options resulted in a year over year increase. You can't win. We only get to vote on a small percentage of the actual budget. The vast majority of spending is already set.
The other problem with voting it down.. they keep submitting essentially the same budget. Sooner or later, the snowbird retirees head to Florida and then they put the _real_ budget up for vote to guarantee its passage. School districts have been playing that game for a very long time.
The "austerity" budget is lower and they usually threaten to -
1) move to half day kindergarten so the new and prospective parents vote for the budget
2) remove middle school enrichment programs so that elementary parents vote for the budget
3) remove high school sports and music so that middle school and high school parents vote for the budget.
The difference between NC and Westchester is only a few bucks.
I looked at a few towns in Westchester w/ basically the same home prices, school ratings and commute times. The Westchester properties had 12-14k sq ft lots compared to the 10-12k I saw on LI. The taxes on 550k-700k homes in Westchester consistently had taxes 3-4k more than the homes LI had.
The "austerity" budget is lower and they usually threaten to -
1) move to half day kindergarten so the new and prospective parents vote for the budget
2) remove middle school enrichment programs so that elementary parents vote for the budget
3) remove high school sports and music so that middle school and high school parents vote for the budget.
After all, "it's for the kids".
Yes, that's how it normally works. In the case I pointed to from last year, the austerity budget was HIGHER than the proposed budget. The numbers were all pretty close that the difference wasn't significant, but austerity was still higher. Kind of makes you want to vote "yes" as the next budget might be even higher.
Either way, my taxes still went up and continue to do so every year. Just paid my 2nd half tax bill and it made me sick.
I looked at a few towns in Westchester w/ basically the same home prices, school ratings and commute times. The Westchester properties had 12-14k sq ft lots compared to the 10-12k I saw on LI. The taxes on 550k-700k homes in Westchester consistently had taxes 3-4k more than the homes LI had.
And yet those on the Westchester board don't seem to have any heart burn with their tax obligation, or if they do their not posting their complaints online.
And yet those on the Westchester board don't seem to have any heart burn with their tax obligation, or if they do their not posting their complaints online.
Why do you think? I've noticed this too. That forum does receive considerably less traffic than the LI one does, however.
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And yet those on the Westchester board don't seem to have any heart burn with their tax obligation, or if they do their not posting their complaints online.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeventhFloor
Why do you think? I've noticed this too. That forum does receive considerably less traffic than the LI one does, however.
As a county resident, most people I have come across in real life (and some in the forums like kletterman, dr. strangeglove, AliciaN etc) are not entirely pleased with the high taxes, but feel like they're getting their money's worth net of everything.
Location: Westchester County, NY -> Pinellas County, FL -> Dutchess County, NY -> Denver?
348 posts, read 539,094 times
Reputation: 350
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest_Hills_Daddy
As a county resident, most people I have come across in real life (and some in the forums like kletterman, dr. strangeglove, AliciaN etc) are not entirely pleased with the high taxes, but feel like they're getting their money's worth net of everything.
kletterman lived in Pound Ridge. You do realize that average bread winner can't afford to live there, right? There's no justification in making people pay high school taxes because it is the issue. Most money is mismanaged, misappropriated and spend on silly projects and hardly ever on students.It's not the state, local, sales etc. taxes.
kletterman lived in Pound Ridge. You do realize that average bread winner can't afford to live there, right? There's no justification in making people pay high school taxes because it is the issue. Most money is mismanaged, misappropriated and spend on silly projects and hardly ever on students.It's not the state, local, sales etc. taxes.
Jinjila owned a million dollar home in larchmont. AliciaN lives in katonah. dma lives in Huntersville. Many households in westchester do not represent the average household and that is the underlying factor.
kletterman lived in Pound Ridge. You do realize that average bread winner can't afford to live there, right? There's no justification in making people pay high school taxes because it is the issue. Most money is mismanaged, misappropriated and spend on silly projects and hardly ever on students.It's not the state, local, sales etc. taxes.
..and don't forget Wading River's "educational" senior trip to Disney World, paid by the taxpayers.
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