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Sachem board weighs using reserves to close budget gap and debates rebuilding North pool
Summary
Superintendent told the board the district’s levy was revised downward after increased building aid and proposed using $13.5 million of fund balance to reduce a projected budget gap to about $1.1 million; directors also debated a >$4 million replacement for the aging North pool and whether to place a bond proposition before voters.
Superintendent Michelle (district finance lead) told the board that state processing of final cost reports increased the district’s building aid and reduced the proposed levy by about $596,751. Staff presented a $9 million capital slate (roof replacements, boiler work, CTE and IT upgrades) and said the district currently estimates a $14.6 million budget gap before reserves.
Administration proposed appropriating $13.5 million from the fund balance. "If the board were willing to put $13.5 million into appropriated fund balance, our remaining gap would be about $1.1 million," the superintendent said, adding that department heads are continuing line-by-line reviews to pare that shortfall.
Board members asked for the breakdown of the year-end projected $17.775 million surplus; staff said about $8.2 million of that came from underrun operating lines and roughly $9 million came from one-time sources (property sales, legal settlements, higher-than-expected BOCES reimbursements). Several trustees cautioned that one-time revenues are not a sustainable base for recurring budget items.
Separately, the board discussed a consultant report that the North pool has significant leakage and repairs would exceed the facility’s remaining life. The district architect estimated replacement costs in excess of $4 million. Some trustees argued for a bond proposition to let voters decide whether to fund a new pool now; others preferred bundling the pool into a larger capital bond in a future year when existing debt falls off the tax-cap calculation to reduce the tax impact. One board member suggested adding boilers/roofs to a single bond to increase voter buy-in.
No bond vote was scheduled; the board expressed general support for exploring a bond proposition in the next budget cycle and asked administration to prepare cost estimates, funding options (bond vs. reserves), and community-facing materials on how bonds affect taxpayers.
