E-Burg calling for 11.5% tax increase

[Dredly]

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...NEWS/901130323

EAST STROUDSBURG *— Taxpayers in Monroe County's part of the East Stroudsburg school district could face a 11.5 percent tax increase next school year, according to a preliminary budget presented Monday night. Pike County residents would see a possible 5.7 percent increase under the same proposal.

The district spans both counties, each of which was assessed at different dates. Therefore, millage rates differ between the two.

The preliminary budget forecasts 17.26 new mills being levied to Monroe County residents, which would bring their tax bills to 167.276 mills in the fall. Pike County property owners would see a 6.55 mill increase to 121.901.

District officials and board members said the tax hike contained in the preliminary $138.7 million spending plan for 2009-10 was the result of spiralling spending over the past several years that had not been accompanied by tax increases that were sufficient to cover it. Since 2002-03, spending has risen 90 percent, while revenues over that period lagged behind, at 73 percent.

The differences between expenses and revenue were covered by repeated uses of the fund balance. This functions somewhat like a savings account. At East Stroudsburg, fund balance went from a high of nearly $18 million in 2004-05 to about $2.5 million budgeted for June of this year.

Robert Gress and Keith Karkut both referred to this practice as "robbing the fund balance."

"Every $1 million in fund balance we used last year is $4 million in costs this year," Gress said. "You've got to pay the piper sooner or later."

The budget contains some grisly choices, due to a nearly $4.8 million gap that the district has to find out a way to close.

One option is to restructure up to $8 million of the $17.3 million in debt that the district is carrying to pay for the construction of new and renovated schools. But such a move lengthens the life of the debt and adds interest costs.

"It seems like we keep taking out more new credit cards to pay off our old credit cards," Karkut said.

Another option is to cut staff and programs by increasing class size or curtailing the some offerings, including Advanced Placement classes, which tend to be small. Several board members objected to this idea. "You start chipping away at curriculum," said board member Bet Hays, "and that really bothers me."

A third possibility is to appeal the assessed values of the largest taxpayers in the district. Pocono Mountain is pursuing that strategy in the Court of Common Pleas.

But the administration of East Stroudsburg displayed little appetite to venture down that path, as did its board members.

"We don't have any big taxpayers," Karkut said. "Fernwood, Pocmont and Shawnee — that's it. We've shut the rest down."

The preliminary budget will be adopted at a special meeting on Feb. 9. At least two more meetings are planned before then.

[Dredly]

Lets all say thank you to the nice transplants who have been ever so kind to move to the school districts in Monroe County! Without them we wouldn't have yearly building projects, insane tax increases every year and out of control spending.

Thank you NY/NJ!

[mrnyman]

Dredly, i am one of the 'transplants" (refugees) that you mentioned, yes the school taxes are high but i dont mind paying it one bit , if thats what it takes to build a suitable school system that that can compete with the rest of the country and can prepare our children for the real world, pay Pennsylvanian teachers a decent salary, build new modern schools and provide useful programs and skills that children will need in life. We can do that or we can go back to the old ways of one room school houses and semi-literate teachers.

Besides the "transplants" do more than bring high taxes to the area, we bring millions if not billions of dollars to the area as most of us still drive accross the Delaware river to Work, Buy homes, cars , shop and recreate here in nepa, just drive along routes , 209, 611 or 447 and you will see that the area is booming inspite of the bad national economy, why do you think that is?
Without the Transplants NEPA would have been depressed and run down like the rest of Pennsylvania.
I rather pay the school taxes here than in the 2 communist/zionist controlled states back east where you never see what your money is doing, atleast here i can see what my tax dollars are doing, east burg just got a brand new school, my son just got a brand new school in PMSD, the teachers are interested in teaching and is professional.
Unlike the communist states back east where the teachers hardly ever come to school and the kids are taught by "substitutes" because the unions allow it.

"Transplants" bring more than just high Taxes, just ask all the Car dealers, real estate brokers, restaurant owners, store owners who thier customers are.

Nyman

[Exbiker]

"Transplants" bring more than just high Taxes, just ask all the Car dealers, real estate brokers, restaurant owners, store owners who thier customers are.
Nyman

Actually if you really looked at it you would realize how untrue that statement is. The influx brought some businesses and services that we locals didn`t want or need and came only to sell to and service the transplants. Tax wise on average the transplant brought 2 kids at 10K a year to educated (20K total) yet pays on average 5K in school realty taxes. Guess who makes up the difference of 15K. Commuters buy much of their needs in NJ and NY on the way to and from NY. They also like cheap NJ gas so they contribute little to our liquid fuels tax.Hey how about those that work in NY and don`t contribute to state and local income taxes. Facts are facts.

Hey and thanks too for the increase in crime.

[BanginBonnie2]

We can do that or we can go back to the old ways of one room school houses and semi-literate teachers.

just drive along routes , 209, 611 or 447 and you will see that the area is booming inspite of the bad national economy, why do you think that is?

"Transplants" bring more than just high Taxes, just ask all the Car dealers, real estate brokers, restaurant owners, store owners who thier customers are.

Nyman

Nyman,


Aside from the hours of midnight to 4:00 am, when can you .... " just drive along routes , 209, 611 or 447 " ?

The last time I did that, a load of Dynamite had just blown a piece of the County and some Fire Personnel and Equipment into the Heavens ...

... and Arthur Petty still had a Honey Stand !

Most of my family DID attend " old ways of one room school houses and semi-literate teachers " at the end of the Snow Hill Road + 402 and all did quit well ... one Uncle did so well in Arithmetic that he could figure out on his own that nearly 500 acres he had purchased in the 1940's from the Bromley Estate was now costing him more in taxes per year then the actual purchase price, so he donated it to the State rather then lose it to the Sheriff !


You've lost me on the " semi-literate teachers " thought ... isn't it the ' Inner City ' with the Massive Drop-Out Problem ?

Sorry to come off as the Unfriendly Pennsy type ... we've had more notable Unfriendly's

... a Judge in Milford once handed down a Sentence that included leaving the Country .. move to Jersey !

I wish more of you would use the Dingman Bridge ... keeps the value of my Stock high.


Like the area I currently reside in, it's a Great Place to be FROM !

[Dannytheman]

This is just the preliminary budget! Don't sweat it. It is the cost of everything on everyones wish list on the school board and administration!

It is only a starting point, and will be wittled down, and that's where the politics start. Who gets there pet project shut down, what deals are cut? That always worries me more!!

Keep an eye on it, and you will see it reduce ! I'd bet it will be closer to 5%-6% when passed!!

Let me know if I am wrong!!

[God's Country]

Without the Transplants NEPA would have been depressed and run down like the rest of Pennsylvania.

You know your post was just ignorant until it became arrogant.

Your attitude (and others like you) are what created the communist state you ran from, and in your haste to run to the nearest freedom you could tolerate you do not hesitate to do your part to recreate the world you chose to leave. What you so dismissively refer to as “run down” decent people once called home. A home that has been turned into a depressing wasteland of mega stores, mega traffic, mega crime, and mega assholes. Yes I know to you it may be a small slice of heaven because you ran from much worse, but when you move to an area an insist on changing it to suit your needs sane people question why you moved there in the first place.

If you can’t assimilate and live peacefully with a society that has done quite fine before you and your ilk arrived perhaps you can perform a selfless act for a switch, and move the f@#k back to NJ or NY or whatever God forsaken state you yield from. It would appear you’re happier in that type of environment anyway.

[Dredly]

Dredly, i am one of the 'transplants" (refugees) that you mentioned, yes the school taxes are high but i dont mind paying it one bit , if thats what it takes to build a suitable school system that that can compete with the rest of the country and can prepare our children for the real world, pay Pennsylvanian teachers a decent salary, build new modern schools and provide useful programs and skills that children will need in life. We can do that or we can go back to the old ways of one room school houses and semi-literate teachers.

Besides the "transplants" do more than bring high taxes to the area, we bring millions if not billions of dollars to the area as most of us still drive accross the Delaware river to Work, Buy homes, cars , shop and recreate here in nepa, just drive along routes , 209, 611 or 447 and you will see that the area is booming inspite of the bad national economy, why do you think that is?
Without the Transplants NEPA would have been depressed and run down like the rest of Pennsylvania.
I rather pay the school taxes here than in the 2 communist/zionist controlled states back east where you never see what your money is doing, atleast here i can see what my tax dollars are doing, east burg just got a brand new school, my son just got a brand new school in PMSD, the teachers are interested in teaching and is professional.
Unlike the communist states back east where the teachers hardly ever come to school and the kids are taught by "substitutes" because the unions allow it.

"Transplants" bring more than just high Taxes, just ask all the Car dealers, real estate brokers, restaurant owners, store owners who thier customers are.

Nyman

1. Car Brokers have been in our area for decades and were still in business without an issue.

2. We can thank the transplants for the massive increase in cost of real estate, the loss of farm and wood land, and the massive traffic jams. in 1990 a single lot of buildable land could be had for under 10,000, in 1980 my parents bought their land for under 5k. Today if you can find land under 30k its a steal...

The "bad" transplants have also DECIMATED communities such as Pocono County Place where property values have dropped 50 - 75% in 10 years due to the criminal element... thanks for that too.

3. Our school districts do not need "new" or "modernizing", they were doing that just fine before the influx, since the transplants started showing up schools need to expand to add more seats for your kids. I have no idea where you are pulling the one room schoolhouse shit out of but there hasn't been a working 1 room school house in at least 35 years that I know of, probably even longer then that.


Transplants have brought NOTHING beneficial to our community in the past decade other then more mini malls. They are rapidly increasing the cost of living, reducing the quality of living, causing traffic jams... you name it.

[jcabin]

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

[BSOG60]

Nyman....LOL

Isn't one reason you came to NEPA was to get away from NY/NJ taxes ?

i don't think NEPA needed any of you transplants help. all i seen in the last 20 years was more crime, more handouts, and alot of NJ/NY type bitchin !
it was Fine before you all came...and alot cheaper. if it was so run down,
why did you come ??

if your so worried about the children....why don't you pay 20% of the budget asked, and leave the people that don't have kids alone. i have no problem with that. why should some Retired elderly pay for your kids ? they can barely make it nowadays with healthcare....taxes, etc.

i have no problem with anyone getting the best education possible...but You Pay for it buddy. LOL.
Nepa is going down hill....sad...just like Philthadelphia, Pittsburg, North Carolina.....i wonder why ?

best part about this...LOL, Nyman will wonder why he can't retire down the road, and have to move to Idaho , and start his Taxation all over again....GO HOME ! since you don't like NEPA for what NEPA Is or was.