The Dunkirk school district’s proposed 2022-23 budget, containing a 1.99% tax hike, aims to prepare for an anticipated “revenue cliff,” superintendent Michael Mansfield said at Tuesday’s public hearing on the spending plan.

Mansfield said the district is projected to lose $759,988 in funding for 2023-24, with the end of revenue loss mitigation payments related to the shutdown of the NRG power plant.

In 2024-25, an end to a federal funding allotment will also hit the district hard. “The state is using that (allotment) to fund some of our improvements in foundation aid,” the superintendent said.

With funding tightening soon, the district decided to keep spending hikes relatively low. The $52,396,017 budget represents a 1.91% increase from 2021-22’s spending plan.

The proposed tax hike of 1.99% represents $202,303 of additional revenue. According to a table shown in Mansfield’s presentation, a city of Dunkirk home assessed at $60,000 would see a $28 hike in taxes. A town of Dunkirk home assessed at that value would get taxes raised by $33, while they would go up $37 for a $60,000 home in the town of Sheridan.

Mansfield said the budget is part of a five-year financial plan, which the district started working on with consultant Dr. Richard Timbs when he visited Dunkirk in January. Three subsequent workshops fleshed out the budget and the Board of Education adopted it April 5.

Timbs called for 2% tax hikes every year for the next five years to help ensure an adequate revenue flow for the district.

Mansfield noted the 2022-23 budget uses $3,698,161 in fund balance, down from $5,572,190 in 2021-22. “We’re pleased with that,” he said.

No one from the public or the Board of Education spoke at the hearing.

The budget goes up for a public vote Tuesday, May 17 from noon to 9 p.m. People will also vote on Board of Education candidates at the election, scheduled to be held in the high school auxiliary gymnasium.

By state law, if voters defeat the budget, the Board of Education can resubmit an altered budget. If that fails a public vote too, the district will have to adopt a contingency budget with significant cuts to things such as capital projects and instructional materials.