Williamsville
School Board asks for lower budget increase
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Several of the Williamsville School Board members requested that the proposed budget increase be lowered to the 4.45 percent range after reviewing the preliminary 2007-08 spending plan, which carries a 4.59 percent increase.

The total budget is $145.4 million, as presented by Superintendent Howard S. Smith at the March 12 public forum.

To reach the board's preferred increase, Smith said approximately $200,000 will have to be removed from the preliminary budget. The board indicated it would like money realized from retirements to be used.

"Some (of the money) will come from retirements, but I think there are other areas we would be better served taking from," Smith said.

The refined preliminary budget will be presented at the board's March 27 budget work session.

Smith said he will be hammering out the final cuts in the budget, which is possible based on new information, including the retirement savings.

"The new information will save taxpayers money but will not have an impact on programming," he said.

On average, the district has been able to maintain a tax rate increase that is less than the Consumer Price Index, a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for goods and services.

In 2006-07 the CPI increased 3.76 percent while the district's tax rate decreased .10 percent, and the previous year it decreased 2.35 percent.

Also at the March 27 meeting, the School Board will approve propositions for May's ballot, including construction on the Mill Street transportation center. A building capital reserve will also be set for voters' approval in May.

The cost is estimated at $4.5 million to reconstruct the transportation center and Mill Middle School bus loop. The district is estimating that the cost to taxpayers will be $1.50 per year for a home assessed at $150,000.

The budget work session will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27 in the district office boardroom, 105 Casey Road, East Amherst.

e-mail: jfinch@beenews.com