Tax Levy Increase Passed By East Ramapo Board

By Idy Perl

Last night the East Ramapo board approved the 4.38% tax levy increase proposed by Commissioner Rosa. This tax hike is in addition to the 1% increase that was passed a few months ago, bringing the total increase to 5.38%. The $6.5 million addition to the budget was proposed to fund the financial crisis that the East Ramapo school district is currently facing. 

During the tense and contentious board meeting, members on the board contested accusations from the commissioner that said they weren't funding enough bilingual teachers and other mandatory services in the public schools. The board members mentioned how they had argued with previous administrations to keep funding even non-mandatory services, and that they did their best to make sure every child in East Ramapo received the best education.  They also stated that the financial issues ran deeper than what a tax increase can cover, and that more pressure had to be put on the state to fund the school district, instead of putting it on local residents. 

When stating their votes, many board members expressed their disagreements with the bill but said they were forced by the commissioner to vote in favor of it or face losing their seat on the board.