Proposed tax levy for revised school budget down to 0% thanks to $1 million in state funding

The NENUFSD will be receiving $1 million of unanticipated extra help from the state government, effectively lowering the proposed tax levy of the district’s revised budget to 0%, according to news made public by Superintendent Robert Banzer at yesterday evening’s board of education meeting.

Senator James Gaughran informed Mr. Banzer of the funding in a phone call late Wednesday afternoon. The superintendent opened Thursday’s special meeting, scheduled after the original budget failed at the polls, with the good news.

“I literally received a million dollar phone call yesterday,” he said. “That obviously was very welcome news. The sum and substance of that phone call, and the work that we have done since the vote, is that I am recommending that we go out and present a budget that has a zero tax levy increase for this year."

According to Senator Gaughran’s office, the State Senate allocated this funding in the state budget in April, specifically to help localities that are adversely affected by tax certiorari events (events like the LIPA settlement for the Northport-East Northport community). Senator Gaughran’s office found out this week how much money would be included in the fund, which was created in large part due to the senator’s advocacy, prompting the phone call.

“Obviously, with the urgency of the budget, the revote coming for Northport..., Senator Gaughran immediately called the superintendent,” said Marissa Espinoza, Communications Director for the senator.

“I am thrilled to have secured $1 million in extra funding for the Northport-East Northport school district to help lessen the burden of LIPA’s tax certiorari settlement,” said the senator in a statement after the BOE announcement. “This funding is in addition to the historic school aid I helped secure in this year’s budget. This $1 million should be used to provide tax relief to residents to hold the line on taxes.”

Thanks to this extra funding and some minor deductions made in the budget, the estimated school tax increase for the upcoming year for the average household has decreased from $58 to $0. The revised budget, only slightly different than the first, decreased $14,960 to $174,689,788 and, after being adopted by the board at the end of the meeting (it passed unanimously), will now be up for a budget revote on June 15.

A few minor items were removed from the original budget, and playgrounds at the middle schools have been put in, said Banzer. Another notable difference in the revised budget is that monies once designated to a Covid contingency fund are no longer being labeled that way; the funds will remain in the interfund transfer as they originally were, but are now designated for funding capital projects such as roofs and HVAC, as well as the playgrounds.

Banzer briefly addressed a trending topic – misinformation on social media – before presenting data showing how the district is doing fiscally, and in its efforts to provide an outstanding program for its children. He pointed out that the NEN district has had the lowest budget-to-budget and tax levy increases in the Town of Huntington over the last 11 years, and scored below the county average for tax levy increases.

“I’m going to sum it up and say we’re doing pretty damn good,” he said.

The data, along with the announcement of the 0% tax levy increase – a consistent ask from opponents of the first budget – did not placate all members of the audience.

“The school district is becoming a pig,” said Northport resident Joe Sabia. “And the reason why I say it that way, is the people have spoken, with the pandemic, people out of work, people losing their jobs and businesses closing… and you have the audacity to want to raise our taxes?” Joe blamed increasing taxes for driving both younger and older generations out of Northport and oftentimes, out of state, and expressed skepticism about the newly announced federal funding.

“There’s no way you can tell me, all of a sudden you get turned down, and $1 million comes out of nowhere, which we’ll end up paying for in the long run anyway,” he said. “There’s no free money.”

An outspoken critic of the original budget, former BOE trustee Tammie Topel called the district’s use of the $1 million in funding as reason to lower the tax levy “smoke and mirrors.”

“There is so much money in the budget, so much money in reserves, and there was no reason to raise the budget anyway,” she said. The “No” vote on May 18 told a story, she said, “that we just can’t keep accepting the budget going up.” She asked the board for transparency and better correspondence with the community, referencing a virtual community meeting hosted by the new developers of Matinecock Court, an affordable housing project slated for construction by Northport High School, to which district “officers” were reportedly invited, but didn’t publicly share information about.

“It’s so disingenuous for you not to allow us the opportunity to understand all the facts,” she said, echoing earlier complaints she had of the budget process. “If there’s anything, anything at all, that you think the community needs to be made aware of, please let us know. That’s what you’re charged with, letting us have the information to make our own informed, educated decisions.”

Eaton’s Neck resident Julie Hendricks-Atkins felt differently, expressing support of both the original and revised budgets, and bringing up a common theme over the past few months – the oftentimes tangible divide in the community. The mother of two was grateful to Senator Gaughran for his advocacy. “But $1 million will not solve the divide in this community. It will not address the relentless and undeserved negativity that is directed at this district on a daily basis. And it will help, but it will not solve the future fiscal challenges that our community will face in the coming years,” she said.

After hearing some of the comments at the board meeting, she said, she was left questioning if her children, members of the class of 2025 and 2029, will have the same educational opportunities that past Northport-East Northport graduates have had. “Will our school district be in a relatively healthy financial position with budgets that are supported by this community, or will we have suffered the extreme effects of contingency budget cuts? Will our buildings be kept in good repair through ongoing capital investment, or will our buildings be falling apart because capital bonds are voted down? Will new families want to move here, or will they see our community’s refusal to support our schools, and skip over Northport-East Northport for other communities where school budgets pass?” she asked, before presenting her call to action: to vote “Yes” on June 15.

Trustee Larry Licipoli brought up one line item that Superintendent Banzer was unapologetic about earlier in the evening; the $30,000 cost per student on the budget, a number that has been criticized in the past, and again during the meeting. “What we offer per kid is fundamentally greater than most school districts,” Trustee Licipoli saidi. “And maybe sometimes we need to be better at communicating this.”

Yes, the district is low on budget-to-budget and tax levy increases, he said. The high cost per student, he continued, needs to be viewed “not as a function of excess, but as a function of actual programs, and services, and class sizes that are to die for.”

While grateful for the funding from the state government, trustee Donna McNaughton said she is mindful of the fact that the district is using revenue from a source that can’t be relied on year after year.

Though voicing support of the revised budget, Trustee McNaughton, along with three of her colleagues – trustees David Stein, Victoria Buscareno and Tom Laughlin – articulated concern for back-to-back 0% tax levy increases. Trustee McNaughton said she was aware of chatter in the community and was not surprised the budget was voted down. Even though residents have different points of view, she said “we should want what’s best for kids,” suggesting that board members focus on more educational outreach so people really understand the intricacies of the budget.

“I am afraid that this is the beginning of ‘No’ every year and that would destroy what I watched be built in the ’90s with fantastic programs… Nobody has the opportunities we have here.”

After expressing her shared concern regarding the 0% levy increase, Trustee Buscareno said perhaps the most upsetting part of the budget fail for her was the amount of people who did not come out to vote. “Why are we not going out and voting? Let’s get out and vote. These things are so important.”

The post-vote 2021-2022 revised school budget presentation can be found here: http://northport.k12.ny.us/Ass...

The next district meeting is a budget hearing on June 3. More info to come.

The budget revote is scheduled for June 15, from 6am to 9pm at Fifth Avenue, Dickinson Avenue and William J. Brosnan. Residents must vote at their designated polling place, which can be found here: https://es.findmypollplace.com/NorthportENCSD/AmIRegistered.