[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6116205,"mediaKeyId","2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690","parentId",2733420,"title","Board votes: summary of resolutions adopted March 18, 2025","audioSeconds",8312,"startMs",8322000,"endMs",9448,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690&start=8322&end=9","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690/thumbnail_8322000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6116205/New-York/Board-votes-summary-of-resolutions-adopted-March-18-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116205-c8c689fbb807527feeef1c458b183b39/orig.mp4?Expires=1770400798&Signature=Qe318RC6vAlrmN6Sojqd8CzTKtlHS7AFBA1K7poEqxiPe9R42RkkQkJ0Kgk9FvA-BDp54IPx1CZJ~tCSXEdY5BzPfT0YxojDGmu6FP37V15LIc6-7KnwMAZ~ORZaGLVZMxhkugN65G8EiI5EEjVYKyiCKBmar1luN5~6lJSJfr0pMrx5zwxmZlhWT-NnxEgPyQEGWz7mQkJcP9gFF1Ry31wudxPDG-vIERp~KvI29Rv9yKnWuB3HeSSOJrCQpRvTqZaamXlc5Q1pKwL2MZuxntSFiV~wL5yX1lrQHXHBcCCWoUBfOApq42UnqmG4usW7oQimyV79WuaZxbpIv8s9UA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-22T05:21:19.713Z","article","The Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education acted on a series of routine and fiscal resolutions during its March 18, 2025 meeting. Below is a concise \"votes at a glance\" summary of resolutions discussed and the meeting record of the board’s actions.

Key votes (motion carried unless otherwise noted)

- Human resources and personnel resolutions: The board approved human resources items including certified and classified appointments and a set of leaves of absence (resolutions listed at agenda items 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3). These carried by voice vote.

- Contract/continuing services: The board authorized continuation of services with Mercy College to implement the Smart Scholar program for the 2024–25 school year (resolution 7.1). Motion carried.

- 2025–26 school calendar: The board adopted the 2025–26 district calendar (resolution 7.2). Motion carried.

- Pupil personnel and program items: The board approved pupil personnel services memorandum No. 16 dated 03/18/2025 (resolution 8.1). Motion carried.

- Cooperative procurement: The board authorized entering into a cooperative joint bidding arrangement with Putnam‑Northern Westchester BOCES for the 2025–26 year to bid for supplies and materials (resolution 9.1). Motion carried.

- Certification of uncollected taxes: The board certified the district’s statement of uncollected taxes for the 2024–25 tax roll as of March 13, 2025 (resolution 10.1). The certification documents taxes in arrears that remain in the two‑year enforcement period; board discussion noted that certification is an administrative act that establishes the district’s statement to the enforcement officer and that payment obligations become due under the statutory timetable.

- Fiscal and administrative items: The board approved the internal claims/auditor’s report for January 2025 (10.2); established a mileage reimbursement rate (10.3); accepted a donation from the Tisch Foundation to Rebecca Turner Academy (10.4); and declared certain computer network equipment obsolete for disposal (10.5). Motions carried.

- Athletics and program mergers: The board authorized merged athletic activities for the 2025–26 school year (10.6) and approved an athletic merger with Bronxville High School for specific programs (10.7); trustees discussed liability and insurance requirements for interdistrict participation. Motions carried; at the meeting trustees requested the administration provide follow‑up on participant counts and insurance documentation.

- Policy adoption: The board waived the third reading and adopted a revised policy on student searches and interrogations (policy 7300.6) (11.1). The motion to waive the third reading passed; the policy was adopted that evening.

- Executive session: The board entered executive session to discuss pending litigation and personnel matters (12.1); the meeting adjourned from executive session.

Notes on voting record and roll call: Board actions during this meeting were recorded as voice votes with motions and seconds shown in the minutes. The public record in the meeting transcript documents \"All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Abstain?\" for multiple items; individual roll‑call tallies and individual trustee vote attributions were not printed in the transcript for every motion, and where roll‑call was not recorded the board clerk signified passage by voice vote. If the board needs a full roll‑call record for any item, the district clerk or board office can supply the signed meeting minutes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mount Vernon Board of Education Regular Meeting March 18 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Mount Vernon City School District board approved multiple routine personnel, fiscal and operational resolutions at its March 18 meeting, including human resources items, the 2025–26 school calendar, cooperative bidding through BOCES, certification of uncollected taxes, acceptance of a donation, and policy adoption.","taxTitle","MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38455,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6116217,"City comptroller: $17.5M tied up in school tax collection; city plans tax‑lien sale",1486,114000,1600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690&start=114&end=1600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690/thumbnail_114000.jpg","/articles/6116217/New-York/City-comptroller-175M-tied-up-in-school-tax-collection-city-plans-taxlien-sale","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116217-8188d0bbc63ec3513d80d1ccddb80b72/orig.mp4?Expires=1770400798&Signature=bPzPPz8rzIfUHkHBopX8rHZNg2zERyagPMlPYBnfjD4JtSALbDj3~qcDjuJ~nLY60QiNobb4Z6OCeIqxQzHvlZUOZNTAA4WtRPUoOD7hQIgJe3VYGatvm5v41VTqouoaimXx4tO~1Oe72~YhR-We2U91vHmV8iW5o3IeFzXLRbnfAiPLuEJHxewDyhld6EHmckAlI6Vwd8UxGcpTq6NLSlYOthbVSR8wRXUYZq4oZpwZ8Rrq2nidD95bjxvGO4ZR8uJqhskt3xkOnocy5p59SnIqDghTxmKWAZMbGil~FRAO1yFGSWGRLdgxw-zrH4QNN7ODNCfoEaiGaaLHKucdEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Comptroller Darren Morton told the Mount Vernon City School District board on March 18 that the city and district are managing large, overdue school tax balances that have strained both organizations’ cash flow and that the city will move toward a tax‑lien sale to accelerate collections.

Morton said the city and district settled a long‑running dispute over unpaid 2017–19 school levies for $11.7 million in principal plus a negotiated 6% interest component of about $2.1 million; the city has paid roughly $10.8 million toward that obligation and the remaining balance is about $3 million under the payment plan, which Morton said is expected to be paid by September 2025. \"At the close of that enforcement period ... the comptroller is then to turn over to the treasurer of the school district the principal and the interest that is unpaid,\" Morton said, describing the statutory handoffs that govern the process.

Morton also laid out the newer set of unpaid taxes that the city is collecting for tax years the district began collecting itself (tax years 2020–2024). He said those years currently total about $17.5 million in the enforcement/collection period — approximately $12.7 million in unpaid tax principal and $4.8 million in interest. Per the timeline Morton described, parts of that total become due to the district on a rolling schedule once the two‑year enforcement period ends: about $7.7 million becomes due in May 2025, roughly $4.2 million will become due in February 2026, and roughly $5.6 million will become due in December 2026. Morton said collectors have already remitted roughly $5 million on those years so far and the remainder remains under active collection.

Morton summarized the statutory process under New York real property tax law: the school district acts as the collecting officer and prepares a certified statement of unpaid taxes at the close of the warrant (the January close), the school board compares and certifies that statement and transmits it to the enforcement officer (the city comptroller), and the enforcement officer then collects for a two‑year enforcement period before turning any remaining unpaid principal and interest over to the school treasurer. He said the collecting officer in Mount Vernon is led by the assistant superintendent for business (referred to in the discussion as Jose) and that the enforcement officer is the city comptroller.

Morton told trustees that because the city lacks the cash flow to \"float\" large unpaid amounts while foreclosures play out, his office will pursue a tax‑lien sale this year. He said the city historically has used foreclosure but that foreclosure in Mount Vernon is a longer, more litigious path and that a tax‑lien sale can return cash to the city more quickly — even though the lien‑sale route is labor intensive and provides the city less control over buyers. Morton warned the board the lien‑sale process is operationally demanding in Mount Vernon because the city may have nearly 600–700 parcels in arrears and the city charter requires the comptroller or deputies to conduct the auction on specific monthly dates.

Trustees asked about timing and options. Board members pressed whether foreclosure would be preferable; Morton said foreclosure typically takes about two years and requires the city to advance funds while the process runs. He and trustees discussed protections and assistance for seniors, and Morton described recently revised city payment‑plan rules that allow longer terms for low‑income seniors (up to 10 years) and extended residential plans (up to 5 years) with a 10% down payment as a way to reduce the number of parcels heading to auction.

Morton reiterated that the collection timeline — and the district’s certification dates — determines when the city becomes obligated to \"make the school whole\" under state law. He closed by saying the city and district must continue reconciling collected amounts month to month and that the city will proceed with the lien‑sale planning while seeking to limit hardship through payment plans and possible interest relief programs.

What this means: the board and district staff face a near‑term cash‑flow and budgeting moment: the city will be responsible for making the district whole for certified unpaid amounts at the end of their enforcement periods, and the first of those payments (the roughly $7.7 million Morton cited) falls due in May 2025. The comptroller’s plan to pursue a tax‑lien sale signals the city intends to accelerate collections rather than rely on lengthy foreclosure timelines.

","City Comptroller Darren Morton told the Mount Vernon City School District board on March 18 that roughly $17.5 million in school taxes for 2020–24 remain in active collection and that the city will pursue a tax‑lien sale to recover unpaid amounts; Morton also reviewed an earlier settlement on 2017–19 taxes and said the city has about $3 million left on that prior obligation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6116213,"Lawyer, board representative say Mount Vernon IDA pilot deals shift school tax burden to local taxpayers",1622,3020000,4642000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690&start=3020&end=4642","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2733420-f9dc6c625e38e956a9b9f42bfa373690/thumbnail_3020000.jpg","/articles/6116213/New-York/Lawyer-board-representative-say-Mount-Vernon-IDA-pilot-deals-shift-school-tax-burden-to-local-taxpayers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116213-328aab5f1166b314b9742018ab140793/orig.mp4?Expires=1770400798&Signature=MfYbZENydVL-WCrBqdQRgDMXpREVr90ILf1C12magtRiOc2GvULwZQ6yBaR7iCR91BIUyTWVf0MdVTq5gWhOFDeATQC1ezZkXD8KVDzj7lyrtlvfKAwyK2Je~pz89S6CJbcavikVsFyglV4xOLdiAyr1qGDEWb1jKkPB4QBaEQcHDrsW7i9Uo3DNdZ-DBuKS6wuhAKuY2KcyqijqopSmV3THqqPZ9cZxogdNk-jt8E9zX27XpvL8DtD0rjfGgZqRyGPAzriFazAbHf8zYGN--OI7p0dOaAavb2gdrwlkojHN4ofV6~Hh9ANe0828T3qn42IH5CLvmGnWqtmySwUuwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mount Vernon legal counsel Tom Scapoli and a nonvoting school board representative on the Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency (IDA) told the school board on March 18 that the IDA’s use of PILOT (payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑tax) agreements for housing projects has created a significant \"tax gap\" that shifts school funding burdens to other local taxpayers.

Scapoli explained the IDA’s statutory purpose and the mechanics of PILOTs and said the Mount Vernon IDA grants developers exemptions from property, sales and mortgage recording taxes and may negotiate PILOT payments instead. \"Pilot is an acronym for a payment in lieu of taxes,\" he told trustees, and the district has limited legal power to block exemption of school taxes under current state law.

Chris, the school district’s nonvoting representative on the IDA, presented numbers showing how a small set of residential projects produces a meaningful local revenue gap. Using five sample buildings, Chris said the projects house 158 district students; the district’s local cost per pupil (on his calculation) is about $9,381, so educating those students costs roughly $1.48 million annually. The projects’ PILOT payments summed to about $301,000 in 2024, leaving a gap of roughly $1.18 million that local taxpayers must cover. Chris also cited the IDA’s 2022 fiscal data showing the Mount Vernon IDA granted about $6.6 million in tax exemptions and negotiated roughly $2.0 million in PILOTs for a net developer benefit of about $4.5 million for that fiscal year.

Scapoli and Chris said a substantial share of IDA projects in Mount Vernon are residential — Chris said roughly 70% of the IDA’s 2024 projects were housing — and that long PILOT durations (20–30 years, some extended on refinancing) can shift a generation of tax burden away from exempted properties. Chris recommended the board consider a resolution stating the district’s position that school taxes should not be abated without district control, and urged public engagement at IDA hearings and with state legislators. He also reported that, as part of settlement talks stemming from earlier litigation, the IDA agreed to seat one school board member as a nonvoting IDA participant; the district representative receives IDA materials and may attend and speak but has no vote.

Trustees asked whether the IDA projects’ projected student multipliers — the factor used to predict how many students will live in a development — are accurate and whether the district can get better prediction studies. Chris said the district and city have discussed hiring a consultant (Urbanomics was mentioned as an example used by a nearby jurisdiction) to develop a better multiplier; he said the district has pressed the IDA for missing developer application documents and pilot agreements but that some records are not available.

Why it matters: PILOTs reduce the property tax revenue the district would otherwise receive while residential projects can add students, increasing costs. Trustees and the district now have a formal, nonvoting presence on the IDA and must rely on negotiation, public advocacy and, potentially, state legislative changes to alter how exemptions are granted going forward.

","Mount Vernon legal counsel Tom Scapoli and board representative Chris told trustees that Industrial Development Agency pilot agreements — especially for residential projects — are producing large foregone school tax revenue, leaving the district to educate additional students while receiving far smaller PILOT payments than regular property taxes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board votes: summary of resolutions adopted March 18, 2025

City comptroller: $17.5M tied up in school tax collection; city plans tax‑lien sale

Lawyer, board representative say Mount Vernon IDA pilot deals shift school tax burden to local taxpayers