Cazenovia Pilot

The following letter was submitted by Village of Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler. In it,he outlines the current state of the proposed CCSD budget for the 2012-2013 year,and how proposed cuts to staff and services could be avoided through community effort. The vote on the budget has been moved (as of March 20) from March 26 to Monday,April 2,2012.

15 March 2012

Dear Neighbors,

The Cazenovia School Board and Administration are to be commended for the exceptional efforts they have made during the past two years to rein in spending in the face of millions of dollars of lost state and federal aid. Their judicious cuts in partnership with concessions from each of the school’s bargaining units have kept increases in local taxes to an average of approximately one percent per year. The unfortunate reality is that there is virtually no “fat” left and the cuts contemplated for this year and beyond strike at the muscle and bone of positions and programs essential to our children’s future.

The purpose of the local tax levy limit enacted by our state government was to control excessive growth in taxation and make New York more competitive.  The tragic unintended consequence for school districts and local governments like Cazenovia that were already “living within their means” with little fat to cut has been to threaten our long-term health and viability. Blindly accepting the local limits suggested by the state (while they simultaneously reduce aid and shift unfunded mandates to local governments) will devastate our municipal infrastructure and our children’s preparation for the future at a time when we should be increasing investment in these two critical areas.

Eight months ago,the Village of Cazenovia rejected this cynical mentality and refused to accept that the Clark Street bridge remain closed,leaving a dangerous gap in our local transportation network. Our residents supported us as we pursued a creative,collaborative approach to replace this essential infrastructure. I’m proud to report that on 12 March,crews began to remove the old decking and a new bridge will be in service by 1 May,less than a year after it was closed.

I believe that when our citizens understand the issues involved,they will be equally supportive of the school and our children. Based on the complex formula mandated by the state,Cazenovia Central Schools’ local levy limit is only 1.6 percent. This percentage will generate about $250,000 ,less than one third the amount lost to reductions in state and federal aid this year alone. We have to understand that this loss of aid is not a passing anomaly – it is our “new normal.”  Even after a third consecutive year of belt tightening in every area,a gap remains. To close this gap,our district is contemplating cutting core educational programs unrelated to declining enrollment. This year,our school’s agriculture program and a core area high school teacher are among those on the block. I ask you to consider,what will we cut next year or the year after to meet the state’s arbitrary reductions?

A modest total increase of just 3 percent (less than the CPI over the past year) will allow the district to fund all essential academic programs and continue to prepare our children for the most competitive world any young American has ever entered. That additional 1.4% on my tax bill would equate to about $29. That is an investment I will gladly make.  We have to trust our locally elected leaders to make prudent,far-sighted use of our tax-dollars. They will continue to carefully scrutinize our budget and cut every dollar they can without a detrimental impact on our students’ futures.  Contact your school board members today and tell them you trust them,not Albany,to do what is best for our children and our community.

Sincerely,

Kurt Wheeler
Village of Cazenovia Mayor