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Mount Lebanon treasurer warns state budget impasse could cause future cash‑flow strain
Summary
The district received half its annual gaming revenue in August but no other state aid because of a state budget impasse; the treasurer and staff told the board local real estate collections are cushioning cash flow for now.
Mount Lebanon school officials told the board on Sept. 8 that the district has received its August share of gaming revenue but no additional state funding because the commonwealth budget remains unsettled, and that continued delays could cause cash‑flow stress later in the school year.
The district’s treasurer presented the monthly cash and investment statements for the period ending Aug. 31 and said revenue from local sources — principally real estate taxes — has arrived on schedule and is sustaining operations for now.
The treasurer’s report matters because a prolonged state budget impasse would reduce or delay state aid that most districts rely on to pay recurring costs such as payroll, benefits and utilities; Mount Lebanon officials said their relatively strong local tax receipts give the district more time to weather a disruption than many neighboring districts.
According to the presentation, the district received about $1,454,000 in gaming revenue in August, described as “half” of the expected gaming distribution. The report said other state funding “has not been allocated or approved” because the state budget remains unresolved.
Missus Conley, staff member, explained that local real estate tax collections are arriving through December and that most taxpayers who will pay in the current cycle have already done so; she said the discount and face payment periods end in December and that revenues decline afterward. “We will be seeing some cash-flow problems eventually if the state budget is not resolved,” Conley said, describing a risk timeline driven by payroll and fixed operating costs.
Board members emphasized advocacy to state legislators. One board member urged members of the public to contact their representatives to press for passage of the state budget to restore funding for public education across the commonwealth.
The board also heard that the district’s FY 2024–25 audit is underway; auditors from the district’s auditing firm are expected to present the final audit at the board’s second October meeting.
The treasurer’s report and related documents (monthly bills, investment listings and a list of unusable equipment) were presented for board review; approval of the monthly bills and other routine finance items was recommended by administration and will be acted on at the board’s next regular meeting.
