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Board outlines FY27 budget timeline and possible November ballot to address shortfall
Summary
Superintendent and district treasurer briefed the board on FY27 budget timing, the impact of 2025 property-tax reform and a $3.5M targeted reduction; board members were asked to consider whether a property tax or income tax proposal should be placed on the November ballot with key filing deadlines in July.
District administrators presented a compressed timeline May 4 for the fiscal year 2027 general fund budget and warned that state property-tax reform will introduce uncertainty into revenue projections.
Treasurer Mr. Romano told the board a draft FY27 budget will be presented at the May 18 meeting, with a finance-committee review in June and a board retreat June 13 to gather input. He said the district has committed to finding at least $3.5 million in reductions, including transportation adjustments and position changes already approved, but that reaching a sustainable position will likely require returning to voters for additional revenue.
Mr. Romano outlined procedural deadlines for a November ballot issue: the board must adopt a resolution of necessity by July 23 (with documents filed by July 24) if it wants a levy or income-tax proposal on the November ballot. He described differences between property-tax millage and a local income tax — noting a property tax begins collections the following year through established settlement cycles, while an income tax yields quarterly revenue and can be slower to ramp up initially.
Administrators said the state’s guidance on the 2025 property-tax changes remains incomplete; the department of taxation must provide certain calculations by May 20, and that uncertainty affects the district's forecast and whether the state's "make whole" compensation will fully replace lost revenue. The treasurer said the district’s February forecast showed cash reserves could be depleted by FY28 under some scenarios.
Board members asked for comparative pass-rate data for income-tax versus property-tax ballot measures and for scenarios estimating yields of various millage amounts or income-tax rates. Mr. Romano said he would ask bond counsel to prepare draft ballot language and provide yield estimates for different options.
Administrators stressed the board should weigh the duration of any request (how long a levy or tax would run), the timing of collections, and the community engagement needed to explain choices. The board scheduled follow-up budget discussions in May, June and at the retreat in June and may call a special meeting if earlier certification information arrives.
