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Fredonia's Tom Hawk sees the warning signs. As a longtime Board of Education member in the district, he is more than concerned about a 7.9% increase in the $34.5 million proposal that includes 3.5% hike in the tax levy.
"Looking at comparative data, it exceeds our norm. It's an outlier. It's a spike. It's a red flag," Hawk said of the sizable increase in this year's budget. "We're looking at a $2.4 million increase (in aid). The other years, we were less than a million."
Hawk was the lone dissenting vote in approving the spending plan while other board members appeared comfortable. Lots of area governments -- and school districts -- continue to blame inflation while passing on costs to the taxpayer.
But let us not forget, these entities were big winners when it came to COVID-19. American Rescue Plan Act funding came through big time, giving many of taxpayer-funded organizations a sense of false security. Instead of dealing with potential shortfalls in 2021 or 2022, they all put off doomsday. Now, it gets pushed on to property owners.
By the way, the state has held up its bargain. According to early the early numbers in an apparent budget deal, school districts will receive a bump in aid. Even with that, Fredonia voters -- even if they approve the budget in May -- will still be paying more.