Seniors Sound Off on Rising School Taxes

The Rockville Centre School District is presenting a $95.6 million budget for 2011-12, an increase of 2.41 percent over the current fiscal plan. Though it's the second lowest budget-to-budget increase in 19 years, residents will pay an additional $400 in school taxes and for some seniors, that's just too much.

Mary Gunn, a village resident for 40 years, lives on a fixed income. At 73, Gunn said she is often forced to decide what not to spend money on so that she can pay her bills and taxes. Whether it's putting off fixing her roof or cutting back on groceries for a week or two, these are the decisions she's regularly facing.

"It's really tough to pay everything," Gunn said. "I haven't had a child in the school system since 1976 and taxes keep going up and up."

Gunn explained that she needed $17,000 to fix the roof of her home. With the price of oil, gasoline and food on the rise, along with increasing taxes, Gunn said she decided her roof had to wait. "You really have to think twice about what you're spending your money on," she said. 

She added that she thinks that after seniors reach a certain age, they shouldn't have to pay school taxes.  

Pat, a village resident since 1956 who asked that her last name not be used, said that every aspect of her life is impacted by rising taxes, school and village included. "I continually have to adjust my bill pay schedule," Pat said. She explained that she's cut into her savings just to "make ends meet" but won't go as far as to say that seniors shouldn't pay school taxes.

"I don't ascribe to the logic that only parents with kids in the district should pay school taxes," she said. "I do support cutting school taxes. We are too top heavy with administrators and perks."

What Pat was alluding to was Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Johnson's salary, which is in the neighborhood of $300,000 a year. She said Johnson has done a great job and the schools are doing well, but there needs to be some sort of relief for senior tax payers.

Delores, a 50-year resident of RVC, agreed with Pat that the district is too "top heavy." "It's horrible," she said of the increase in school taxes. "We're all on fixed incomes here and every time you turn around, taxes are going up. I have to find new ways to do more with less."

Asked what she'll cut back on, Delores said food and gas for her car, among other things. "We're basically at the bare bones," she said.

She questioned why there are seldom decreases in school taxes and why when the school district threatens taxpayers with cuts, the first thing mentioned is sports and music. "They need to cut from the top first," she said. "There's too many chiefs. We're struggling and they have these big houses and cars. What kind of crap is that?

She said rising school taxes will inevitably drive her out of the village she's called home for half a century. "There's too many costs to absorb," she said. "I'm worried about living here. I'm struggling and this may drive me right out of New York."