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Former board member urges voters to approve Kutztown Area SD property tax referendum
Summary
Pastor Ritter, a resident and former board member, urged voters to approve a May 20 property tax referendum he described as necessary to avoid staff layoffs, larger class sizes and reduced academic offerings; the superintendent said updated referendum figures would be posted online before election day.
During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Pastor Ritter — who identified himself as a Kutztown Area School District resident and a former board member through December 2023 — urged residents to vote yes on an upcoming property tax proposition. He said the referendum amount referenced in the packet (described during his remarks as a 10.63% increase) is necessary to avoid layoffs and reductions in academic programming.
Ritter placed responsibility for current budget pressure partly on prior boards that did not enact incremental tax increases, and he cited a recent tax court decision that reduced assessments for a major employer in the district as an additional factor worsening the district’s fiscal position. He told listeners he had already voted yes and encouraged others to do the same, arguing that failing to approve the measure would have “serious repercussions for our children.”
Superintendent Till Chatham responded that the administration would post updated referendum figures and related communications on the district’s website and social media ahead of the election, and noted that similar information had been shared at recent budget and finance committee meetings.
The remarks were made during the non-agenda public-comment period; the board did not take immediate formal action on the subject during the meeting.
