Residents in the Sharon Springs Central School District can look forward to at least a five percent drop in taxes in the $9.2 million budget now being put together.
But to get it, they'll have to agree to exceed the district's 1.8 percent state tax cap.
Confused yet?
The drop in taxes comes as the result of a new PILOT agreement negotiated with the Wal-Mart Distribution Center that sees the school's share of the payment in lieu of taxes jumping from $37,500 annually to about $390,000.
With state aid figures still anyone's guess, that's not as dramatic as it sounds and even with the PILOT, the district is still looking at a $289,874 budget deficit.
The proposed budget includes an additional elementary teacher, a part-time guidance position, and a $100,000 generator that would be used if the school is pressed into service as an emergency Red Cross Shelter.
The net cost of the generator, however, is just eight percent of that.
Without the additional positions and the generator, taxes would drop a whopping 12 percent, but after two years of zero tax increases, Superintendent Pat Green said it's time to invest again in the school.
"Everything we do here is for the good of the students and the program," he said.
The elementary position is enrollment-driven, and though it's not necessarily for a second kindergarten teacher, 26 kindergartners, too many for one classroom, are expected in the fall.
The part-time guidance position, budgeted at $40,000, is intended to help high school students with the college application process, Mr. Green said.
"With just one guidance counselor for kindergarten through seniors, this is an area deserving of additional resources," he said.
With the $9.2 million budget and a state budget cap of about 1.8 percent, the maximum tax levy the district could impose is $2.2 million.
To go above that, voters must pass the budget by a 61 percent margin.
The proposed budget is subject to change if state aid figures come in before April 20, the school's deadline for adopting it.
The Wal-Mart PILOT will also impact taxes in the Village of Sharon Springs and the Town of Sharon, but only schools can ask voters to okay exceeding the tax cap.