The Quakertown Community School District Finance Committee voted Jan. 9 to forward to the full board a proposed tax-collector compensation agreement that would raise compensation by 10¢ per parcel per year and asked staff to present the agreement at the board meeting on Jan. 23.

Staff member said the contract must be approved before Feb. 15 and that tax-collector representatives had requested a 15¢ increase; staff recommended the 10¢ figure after an analysis that showed the 10¢ option equates to an 11.19% increase over four years while the 15¢ option would be about a 14.47% increase. "The agreement is attached and the highlighted option...are what was changed," the staff member said at the meeting.

The recommendation included a minor language update to reflect tax-code practice: if a taxpayer requests a receipt when mailing a payment, taxpayers should provide a self-addressed stamped envelope so the collector can return the receipt. The committee heard staff state that the 10¢ increase would "overall, $26,931.20," which staff provided as the budgetary impact tied to the proposed rate change.

The committee also reviewed the district's budget calendar and preparation process. Staff said a preliminary, zero-based budget presentation will be delivered at a budget workshop on Monday, Feb. 10, followed by a second workshop on March 3, a third on April 14 and a proposed-final budget at the April 24 board meeting. Staff said the final budget is scheduled for approval on June 12. Staff indicated this is the second year the district is using zero-based budgeting and described the process as "going much smoother than last year." An executive-session discussion of personnel related to the budget is scheduled for the Jan. 23 meeting.

Board members asked for clear, in-meeting notice when programs or services will be reduced or cut; staff said the Feb. 10 presentation will identify any program reductions and explain why. The committee also discussed a possible Joint Operating Committee (JOC) request for up to $500,000 in additional funding for new programs; members were told that money, if approved, would come from the district surplus and would increase the JOC operating budget from roughly $12 million to either about $12.3 million without the new programs or up to $12.8 million if the $500,000 is added.

The committee approved minutes from the Nov. 11, 2024 meeting by voice vote. Committee members present at the finance portion included Mister Speer, Mister Shermer, Mister O'Donnell and Mister Reimers.

What's next: staff will forward the tax-collector compensation agreement and the proposed language changes to the Jan. 23 full-board meeting for final action; the Feb. 10 budget workshop will present detailed line items and any recommended program changes.