Carmel Board of Ed Adopts Budget With 0% Tax Levy Hike
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Another marathon Carmel Board of Education meeting last week resulted in the adoption of a proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year with no increase in the tax levy for property owners.
The $141.7 million spending plan was approved at about 1 a.m. Apr. 25 by a slim margin of 4-3. A public hearing will be held May 7 at George Fischer Middle School, followed by a districtwide vote May 21.
Supporting the zero percent tax levy were trustees James Wise (who made the motion), John Curzio, Melissa Orser and Jason Paraskeva.
“No increase in taxes will be enough to fund these programs if we continue to budget the way we are,” Wise said. “I see very little appetite for a tax increase that is not shared by concessions.”
“We have seen time and again that the school district cannot tax our way out of a financial crisis. It has not worked in the past, it will not work now, and it will not work in the future,” Curzio stated. “A proposed tax increase while taking away more from our students is the quickest way to a contingent budget. It’s not only bad politics – it’s bad policy. Taxing people out of their homes while also hurting our students is not the answer. Throwing more money at a broken system is not going to fix this broken system. Difficult decisions are demanded of us – the people’s elected representatives on this school board. We should be tackling this problem head-on so that it does not become an even bigger fiscal crisis next year. We cannot and should not be abdicating this solemn responsibility.”
While several teaching and clerical positions are likely to be cut, the board directed administration that any proposals for reductions and eliminations to meet the 0.0% tax levy increase cannot affect program offerings for students.
In explaining her opposition to the zero percent tax levy, Crocco said she was concerned the district was going to lose vital programs.
“We’re being asked to vote blindly,” Douglas said, which Curzio agreed.
“We’re in the position of having to make a blind decision,” he said. “The numbers before us.. I don’t have any confidence in that they are accurate.”
Interim Superintendent of Schools Joseph McGrath expressed doubts administration would be able to maintain all programs with a zero percent tax levy and would have to come back to the board for further discussion.
Voters narrowly approved budgets the previous two years with tax levies of 1.8% and less than 1 percent. Three years ago, Carmel was forced to operate on a contingency budget after voters rejected the budget twice.
Although the district has $5.6 million in unassigned fund balance, the board made a pledge not to utilize any of those funds in next year’s budget.
Also on the May 21 ballot will be a $11.8 million safety and security referendum that the board finalized in late March.
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