Mount Vernon board adopts resolution opposing IDA tax abatements that reduce school revenue

Mount Vernon — The Board of Education voted on Nov. 25 to adopt a resolution declaring that the elected school board should retain exclusive authority over abatements of school tax revenue and urging municipal and state bodies to safeguard the district’s tax base.

Trustee McDonough introduced the resolution and summarized an analysis of 20 projects with payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) agreements. "Had those 20 projects paid their full school taxes over that period of time, they would have paid us $19,670,000. Instead, they made pilot payments to us in the amount of $5,800,000. That means we forwent $13,850,000 in taxes just from 2020 to 2024," he told the board.

The resolution directs the superintendent or designee to transmit the board's position to the Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency, the City Council and the New York State Legislature. Trustees discussed both short-term advocacy through the New York State School Boards Association (NYSBA) and longer-term legislative proposals to limit IDA authority over school tax abatements.

Why it matters: Trustees and witnesses linked PILOT agreements to a measurable negative impact on district revenue and to longer-term fiscal strain that affects the district’s ability to fund programs and staff. Supporters argued the resolution is a first step in assembling other districts to seek state-level changes.

What the board did: After public exchange and legal context, the motion to adopt the resolution was called and carried by majority vote with no recorded opposition in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: The board asked the superintendent to forward the resolution to the Mount Vernon IDA, City Council and state lawmakers and suggested working through NYSBA/NISBA advocacy channels to pursue broader legislative reforms.