When: School District of Lancaster board meeting, May 11.
What happened: Board members tentatively agreed to raise real estate taxes 1.75% for 2021-22, down from the 2.12% recommended by district administrators. An informal consensus received unanimous approval.
What it means: The tax hike, scheduled for a vote May 19, means residents will see an annual increase of $63.98 for an average home valued at $163,484. This translates to about $39 for every $100,000 in property.
Discussion: Board members said they were reluctant to raise taxes because of the pandemic but realized a zero increase next year would mean a much higher hike for 2022-23. âWe need to be consistent,â Dave Parry said, explaining he favors a minimal increase below 2%. âIâm not comfortable putting the number two before the public.â The board could raise taxes as much as 4.3%. Board President Edith Gallagher noted that as the district continues an expected decline in enrollment, its percentage
When: School District of Lancaster board meeting, May 4.
What happened: Board members appeared reluctant to raise real estate taxes despite the administrationâs recommendation of a 2.12% increase to help offset a $15.8 million budget deficit for 2021-22. Instead, they asked Matt Przywara, the districtâs chief financial officer, to analyze and present data on how a 1%-2.5% tax increase would affect the district and the community.
Discussion: âIt doesnât look like anyone here is looking at 3%,â Salina Almanzar said. The district can raise taxes as much as 4.3% using an adjusted index, which would generate $3.3 million. Board members could also approve the regular 3% index, which would raise $2.2 million. âI feel going above 2% is a little bit uncomfortable,â Kareena Rios said.
When: School District of Lancaster board meeting, April 6.
What happened: The board discussed briefly endorsing a resolution that supports a countywide health department â an agency some members said was needed this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic as they grappled with choices that affected the health of more than 10,000 district students.
Quotable: âMy question I was just thinking about was âwould a county health department have helped us in our decision-making process this past year?ââ board member Mara Creswell McGrann said. âAnd Iâm not even making a joke. I think I think the answer is yes.â
Background: Last month, Manheim Township passed a resolution calling on Lancaster County commissioners to create a county-level health department. Pennsylvania has six county health departments and four municipal health departments. Manheim Township sent a copy of its resolution to other municipalities in the county asking for their support.
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