More On The School Budget

[Henry]

OK, so I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, nor am I the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I need a very simple answer to some very simple questions:

Let's assume I have a $100,000 home to make the math simple:

What were my school taxes for 2005?

What will my school taxes be for 2006 (budgeted)?

Will any items voted on March 4th effect this tax rate?

If the school taxes will be higher what is the reason?  (Simple answer please)

If the school taxes will be lower what is the reason?  (Simple answer please)

I prefer the answer to be here on the forum so everyone can better understand.

[lfisher]

Thank you for the questions!  As you can imagine, the Board spends a great deal of time working on the budget each year and I always find it challenging to condense down all the information we review in order to provide to the voters with the necessary tools so that they may make an educated decision in the voting booth.   We appreciate each and every request for information.

1.  The taxes on a $100,000 house for the 2005 tax year were $1,120 (tax rate of $1.12 - a drop from the prior year of $1.89).
2.  The taxes on a $100,000 house under the proposed budget would be $1,230 (total increase of $110 or $9.17 per month).
3.  This tax rate includes the operating budget and all additional articles warned for the vote.  Should any of the separate articles fail to pass the vote, that money will be returned to the budget as an offset in the monies needed to be raised by property taxes.  
4.   Your final question is difficult.  The overall budget request is up 5.04% over last year.  Energy costs and the faculty/staff wage/benefit increases are a large portion of the budget increase.  However, as pointed out by the other forum question, although the budget is up 5.04% the overall tax rate is up about 10% due to the Common Level of Appraisal.  Last year Fairfax had a CLA of 121.5 - this year it is approximately 1.05. ( I would point your attention to the flyer included with your most recent property tax billing in further explanation of the CLA as parts of it still remain a mystery to many!).  So, although the dollar for dollar request is up only 5.04%, the increase in Fairfax property values (and impact from the reappraisal) plays a role.
5.   Based upon the most recent information we have, the average increase in budgets statewide is approximately 10%.  The BFA Board is committed to a strict fiscal policy that balances the educational standards and requirements of BFA students with the ever-increasing property tax burden on Vermont property owners.  We ask that the voters support the proposed budget on Tuesday.  

Thank you!
Lauri Bellows Fisher, Board Member

[JLB]

Hi Henry
   The taxes for a $100,000 will go up by $110 just for the school budget.   If it is a $200,000 the increase is $220.     This is according to the blue flyer the School sent out mid February stating a rate of $1.23 up from $ $1.12.

    Taxes will also go up for the municipal budget as well.   Unfortunately this figure is not available.    The Grand List is finalized April 1st, 2006.   Then the actual municipal rate can be calculated.

    Hope this helps.
      Jackie