To the editor:
Once again Russ Tarby mistakenly bemoans what he feels to be the cause of high “property taxes” — the “state teachers’ union.” Somehow, in Russ’s mind, the state teachers’ union controls the local school taxes here in Liverpool. A quick look at reality will demonstrate the faultiness of this thinking.
Reality One: The school district’s budget is originally prepared by the superintendent and district office personnel. These folks are most definitely not members of the state teachers’ union. They are hired, and fired, by the Liverpool school board.
Reality Two: The preliminary district budget is presented to the Liverpool school board for their input and approval. This Board of Education is comprised of residents elected by the taxpayers of Liverpool.
Reality Three: The budget is then presented to the taxpayers of Liverpool, who vote on its final disposition.
Reality Four: The NYS baseline cap on school taxes limits school tax increases to 2 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. This has been in effect since the 2012-13 school year.
The bottom line is that school taxes in Liverpool, and the school board, are controlled by the voters in the Liverpool school district. It should also be noted that tax increases have not been higher that 2 percent for the past six years. All this shows that the school tax rate in Liverpool is not controlled by the state teachers’ union.
Russ also writes that “the only way property taxes could be curtailed” in Liverpool is to lower school taxes. That is not true. All homeowners pay a NYS property tax. Also, the residents living in the village of Liverpool pay an additional property tax just for living in the Village. I wonder why Russ doesn’t complain about the taxes he pays simply because he chose to live in the village of Liverpool?
I’m guessing that Russ is proud to live in the village. There is no doubt that he has done some wonderful things for the village, like the “Liverpool Is the Place Concert Series.” I would suggest to Russ that perhaps the reason the taxpayers of Liverpool continue to approve the school district budget is because they are proud of the work the district does educating their children.
Lynn Davis
Liverpool
