School Board Vice President Ric Sorvillo raised an interesting point when he noted that the foreseeable tax rate might be increased close to eight percent. However, that figure might possibly be a bit low.
A bond issue is necessary to maintain the quality of Massapequa School District, but this only one of the school district's concerns. A contract settlement still hasn't been reached with the Massapequa Federation of Teachers, and, even with the new increases the board has offered the union (as reported in the Nov. 7 issue of the Observer), the proposal has not been accepted by the union.
One of the arguments made to the fact-finder when he was collecting data for his report, which was issued early this year, the teachers union contended that residents in the Massapequa School District are under taxed. And, the union argued, that residents could be taxed more than the current property tax rate.
The Observer has contended that many residents in the district, especially re-located workers and senior citizens, can't afford any further tax increases.
This bond issue is desperately needed because the aesthetic quality of the community and the conditions that students are educated in need to be addressed. However, this will demand from the residents a sizeable amount of tax revenue. After this bond issue is passed, and hopefully, for the children and the employees in the district, it will be, the residents will truly be taxed to the limit. Then, after this occurs, there will be nothing left for the union to ask for.
The State of New York is set to enact the STAR proposal, which Assemblyman Steve Labriola, a resident of the Massapequa School District, voted for, to help reduce the property tax burden on local residents. However, it seems, with the bond issue and an unreasonably generous contract settlement, which it the union is demanding, the reductions made by the STAR tax cut will simply be taxed away.
This means that something is going to have to give. Either this bond issue needs to be reduced or the teachers union needed to focus bring their expectations down a little.
Given that the bond issue, as recommended by the Buildings and Grounds Steering Committee, would call for new technology, cleaner rest room facilities, better lighting in the classrooms, and an overall improved scenery for residents living close to the district's ten buildings, it seems that the bond issue is much more important.
