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Resident urges board to scrutinize spending amid steep local property-tax increases
Summary
A Santa Clara Township resident told the Saranac Lake school board that reassessments have produced double-digit tax increases locally and urged the board to interrogate every budget line for mission-critical value as it develops next year’s budget.
Steve Makowski, who identified himself as a Santa Clara Township resident, used the public-comment period on March 11 to press the Saranac Lake Central School District board to weigh the local impact of reassessments that he said produced 12–16% property-tax increases in parts of his township.
"A lot of people are going to have to give up their homes," Makowski told the board. He asked the board to scrutinize each budget line and to prioritize only mission-critical spending, saying residents in affected towns face substantially higher tax bills even though the district’s tax-cap-driven increase is modest.
Board members and staff responded that the summer trip presentation is self-funded and not paid from the district budget. Staff reiterated that district budgeting must account for state aid formulas, reassessment effects and cost drivers such as utilities and health-care premiums. Makowski also asked the board to be clearer about the academic benefit of optional travel, including how much Spanish-language exposure students would get and what learning objectives would be met.
The board acknowledged the concern and reiterated that the trip is paid by participating families, not the district. Members said they were already reviewing budget choices and encouraged residents to participate in the May budget vote and the filing window for board candidates.
