Hendrick Hudson board narrows proposed tax levy to 6.49% and readies materials for April 7 vote

President Silverman and trustees at a March 26 special meeting directed administrators to change the Hendrick Hudson school district's proposed tax-levy request from 8.24% to 6.49% and to provide final projection materials before an April 7 board adoption vote.

The board's presenter, who delivered the superintendent's budget overview and projection tool, told trustees the district faces an ongoing revenue shortfall following the Indian Point nuclear plant's closure and that, under all levy scenarios shown, the district's fund balance would be depleted within about "three to four years" without external aid. "In general terms, 3 to 4 years, we will have depleted our fund," the presenter said. Trustees learned the district had been allowed a one-time energy stabilization reserve of approximately $20,000,000 tied to the plant's shutdown but that the reserve would not replace the lost recurring revenue.

Why it matters: Lowering the proposed levy reduces the immediate tax increase residents would see but accelerates the rate at which the district draws down reserves unless future revenue or expense assumptions change. Administration said the 6.49% parameter is intended as the number the board will present to voters; the board will formally vote on the proposed budget at its April 7 meeting and the community vote is scheduled for May 19.

Trustees spent extended time reviewing a spreadsheet-based projection tool that models fund-balance impacts under different levy paths. One trustee flagged a potential calculation anomaly in the sheet, noting that the 4.57% and 6.99% scenarios produced negative fund-balance figures in one summary column. Administration agreed to correct or clarify the calculation and to provide a concise set of materials that show the fund-balance impact and the assumptions behind each scenario.

Board members framed the debate as a balance between fiscal stability and household affordability. Several trustees urged keeping the requested levy within a 6%–7% range to increase the likelihood a budget would pass while avoiding large, back-loaded percentage jumps in later years. Trustees also discussed the costs and consequences of a contingency budget and the expense of holding a revote if the budget failed: one trustee noted a revote can cost "over $10,000" plus staff time.

The board's action at the end of the meeting was procedural direction rather than a recorded roll-call vote on the levy figure. The presenter said staff will update the projection tool and prepare final fund-balance numbers and a short, public-facing summary (with the 6.49% scenario and a standby 6.99% comparison) for trustees to review before the April 7 adoption vote.

The district will hold public outreach events in the coming weeks, including a meet-and-greet on April 1 at the Premier Athletic Club and a community budget forum on April 14. The board adjourned after the item.