Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cohoes board proposes $57,062,442 budget with 0% tax levy; depends on state aid and a new PILOT
Summary
The Cohoes City School District presented a proposed $57,062,442 spending plan — a 4% increase from the current year — that holds the tax levy flat while relying on conservative state aid assumptions; public hearing set for May 6 and the budget vote May 19.
The Cohoes City School District on April 15 advanced a proposed $57,062,442 spending plan for the 2026 fiscal year, a roughly 4% increase over the current year, while proposing a 0% increase in the tax levy.
Stacy, the district finance lead, told the board the proposal assumes a conservative 1% increase in state foundation aid (the district currently plans for a 1% scenario rather than banking on a higher figure) and noted the district receives roughly 63% of its revenue from state aid. The presentation also cited a new PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement as a modest revenue boost.
The proposed levy is $18,468,672, leaving a small portion of the allowable levy unused, Stacy said; she cautioned that an unchanged levy does not guarantee individual tax bills will be identical because assessed values can shift. If the state budget ultimately produces more than the conservative assumption, the board could later amend the spending plan to add items, officials said.
The budget presentation included staffing changes and program updates: an additional AIS teacher at Harmony Hill (a classroom position converted to intervention support), a shared 0.5 ESL teacher for Lancing and the high school, and resources for special programs and a proposed functional‑skills classroom to meet rising special education needs. Facilities proposals included converting a pilot senior cleaner to a permanent CSEA title and adding an assistant director of facilities to oversee a multi‑year capital plan.
Administrators outlined a separate ballot proposition to create a capital reserve, funded in part by a $1.2 million tax certiorari reserve on the books and possible transfers of unallocated fund balance; any work financed by that reserve would require voter authorization.
Next steps: a public hearing is scheduled for May 6, at which officials will provide estimated tax rates, and the annual budget vote and board election are set for May 19.
