After voter approval and the application of tax equalization, the Middletown school tax rate will be increase by over 25% in two years for some areas within the district. Recently, in response to Governor Cuomo's comments that the State's financial contribution to public school will not increase significantly next year, Dr. Eastwood predicted a further large increase in school taxes for next year. These facts paint a grim picture for Middletown School District's taxpayers. Based on assessed valuation, the taxpayers within the Middleton school district already pay more proportionally in real estate taxes than people in New York City or more prosperous areas.
During Dr. Eastwood superintendency, the district has improved with the addition of many new programs and improved facilities. The question becomes - Can the tax payers within our district afford all these new programs, the added expenses of a new elementary school, and maintain the school district in its current expanded form? I must answer NO! It is like a person who owns a big expensive car when he can only afford a used car. Something must be done. Admittedly, some of the current programs are financed by grants. However, grants run out, and previously funded programs eventually are financed often by the district budget.
For two years in a row, Dr. Eastwood and the board have refused to develop a long term plan to fully deal with the problem of decreased State funding. Although cuts in spending and personnel have been made, no long term plan to scale back and retrench the district to an affordable level have been developed. Dr. Eastwood and the board majority have merely complained about the Governor's cuts, taken a band-aid approach to the budget, refused to use any of its sixth largest reserve fund in the state to lower taxes, fought to maintain the district in its current form, and asked the taxpayer to pay through the nose to maintain the status quo. This approach is unacceptable.
In the upcoming school elections, the voters will have the opportunity to stop the current madness and say no to a proposed school budget tax increase. They also should refuses to elect board members who support higher school taxes. If you do not come out now to vote to oppose paying more tax money than you can afford, when will you come out to vote. The choice is yours. Vote No!
