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Residents press board after software deferral and deferred levy create confusion over tax increases
Summary
Multiple residents asked why recent tax bills reflected what some described as a 27% school share; the district explained a state-software default split part of the levy across two years (a deferral) that delayed payments but did not change the overall tax amount, and staff acknowledged the public should have been notified earlier.
During the public forum multiple residents asked how a figure described by municipal staff as a 27% education share appeared on recent tax communications and why the public had not been notified sooner.
"I'm Chris Tallman, 85 Avondale Avenue," a resident said when given the floor, and he urged a joint meeting with municipal officials to reconcile the differing explanations. The resident said he heard municipal presenters saying the school represented 27% of the increase and wanted a single session where both municipal and school staff explain the math.
A district budget speaker described a state software default that split part of the levy into a deferred bucket during the 2024-25 entry. "I was doing the budget in 2425. The state software defaults to a split year," the speaker said, explaining the deferral moved some payment into a later year but did not change the district's overall tax amount. The speaker acknowledged the mistake as a staff oversight and said the board did not know about the split until later.
Why it matters: residents said they discovered the split through external notices; the district acknowledged the failure to proactively notify residents and committed to continuing dialogue and providing clarification. The board also pointed residents to previously shared PowerPoint material that shows how percentages were computed.
What happens next: district leaders offered one-on-one appointments and promised clearer public communication; the superintendent and staff said they would meet individually with residents who want detailed walk-throughs of the budget calculations.
