Budget vote is June 9; All votes to be cast by absentee ballot

By executive order, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that this year’s school budget vote and board of education election will take place June 9, 2020, and exclusively by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

On June 9, Liberty Central School Districts will cast their ballots on a $50,324,923 budget for the 2020-2021 school year and will elect three members to the Liberty Central School District Board of Education.

Absentee ballots will be mailed to every qualified voter who has personally registered to vote in the district. If you are a qualified voter who has not personally registered, or if you are  not certain whether you have personally registered,  you may request an absentee ballot by contacting District Clerk Tania DeFrank at tdefrank@libertyk12.org or 845-292-6990

Absentee ballots must be  returned and received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. on June 9, 2020 in order to be counted.

Proposed budget calls for 0 percent tax levy increase

Voters in the Liberty School District  will vote June 9 on a $50.3 million budget for 2020-2021 which, for the second year in a row, calls for a 0% increase in the tax levy.

Vigilant financial planning and economizing across all departments enabled the district to keep taxes steady.

All planning, though, was done against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact on state finances. Three periodic reviews of state revenue could result in mid-year cuts, district officials warn.

In March, school buildings were ordered closed and will remain shut through the end of the school year. Liberty schools, though, are not “closed.” Classes are held remotely, 1,400 student meals are prepared and delivered daily, and maintenance crews keep facilities clean and safe.

“These are incredibly challenging times, most especially for our students and families” said Dr. Augustine E. Tornatore, Superintendent of Schools. “As we navigate uncharted territory together, I am continually made proud of this community and this school district.”

Budget Snapshot: Total 2020-21 Proposed Budget is $50,324,923

Program Component: $39,229,941

Includes all areas related to the instructional program, such as teacher salaries and benefits, student support services, BOCES instructional programs, and all transportation operating expenditures.

Administrative Component: $4,865,736

Includes all areas of the budget related to the administrative operations, including school and Central Administration expenses, Board of Education expenses, and all other administrative activities.

Capital Component: $6,229,246

Includes maintenance of facilities, salaries and benefits of the Buildings and Grounds staff, debt service, and any monies for future maintenance and improvements to the school buildings.

Anticipated tax rates

Final tax rates cannot be determined until final assessments and equalization rates become available, typically in the summer, there for these are the anticipated rates per $1,000 of assessed value. The district anticipates that there will be no tax increase or decrease over the current year for district taxpayers.

Bethel

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $44.02
• 2019-20 tax rate: $44.02

Fallsburg

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $45.52
• 2019-20 tax rate: $45.52

Liberty

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $34.73
• 2019-20 tax rate: $34.72

Neversink

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $735.80
• 2019-20 tax rate: $735.80

Rockland

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $39.18
• 2019-20 tax rate: $39.18

Thompson

• 2020-21 estimated tax rate: $33.32
• 2019-20 tax rate: $33.32

Board of Education Election

District voters will elect three candidates to the Board of Elections. Candidates will vie for one of three three-year terms, which begin July 1, 2020 and end June 30, 2023.

All candidates run at-large.

The candidates are:

• Salvatore Crescitelli
• Barbara A. Kelly
• Robert “Keith” Torrens
• Anthony R. Sinacore

Vote tally will be live-streamed beginning 5 p.m. June 9