By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — The annual school budget hearing is slated for Tuesday, May 6, for the Greenville Central School District.
Hosted by the board of education, the hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the library at Greenville Middle/High School on Route 81, giving residents the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns about the proposed $37,644,226 school budget for the 2025-26 school year.
The spending plan represents a 4.61% increase over the current school year budget.
This year’s tax cap for the Greenville district, which is set by New York state, is 1.83%.
“The tax cap, meaning the highest we can go for the tax levy, the highest increase we can have without requiring more than a simple majority, is 1.83%,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Hilgendorff said at the board of education’s April meeting.
The proposed budget includes a tax-levy increase at the 1.83% tax cap, for a tax increase of $341,160.
Taxes collected from taxpayers represent 50.43% of the total revenues for the proposed budget. This year, the Greenville district is projected to receive an increase of 9.45% in state aid compared to the current year, with state aid accounting for 44.03% of the budget’s revenue.
If the proposed budget is not approved by voters on May 20 by a simple majority, the board can either resubmit the same budget or a revised spending plan in a second vote on the third Tuesday in June, or adopt a contingency budget. Should the budget be rejected by voters three times, the board is mandated by the state to adopt a contingency budget.
At the May 6 budget hearing, taxpayers will have the opportunity to ask questions about the budget, with the final vote scheduled for May 20, from 1-9 p.m., in the cafeteria at Scott M. Ellis Elementary School on Route 32.
Voters will also cast ballots to elect two members to the board of education.
The terms of two current board members, David Finch and Jay Goodman, will expire in June. Both seats on the board are for three-year terms.
Goodman will not be on the ballot seeking re-election. Three candidates will vie for the two open seats on the board. They are, in the order in which they will appear on the ballot, James Bucci, Maryah MacDonald and David Finch.
Voters will also cast ballots to approve or reject a proposition to purchase six 66-passenger diesel school buses at a cost not to exceed $1,005,182, according to the district.
Two library budgets will also be on the ballot. The Greenville Public Library is seeking a $500 budget increase, for a total spending plan of $45,100. The Rensselaerville Public Library is looking for a $599 budget increase for a total cost of $30,518.
The vote will be held May 20.