Comptroller Mychajliw offers clear understanding of process to taxpayers
Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr. hosted a presentation at the June 20, 2018 Eden School Board Meeting to provide taxpayers, school board members and the administration with a clear picture of how the county shares sales tax with schools and the true cost/savings breakdown of school consolidations.
“I recently joined the Eden School Board and administrators to present my report on school consolidations. I provided facts about the process and our discussion was an intellectually honest one based on data. My report explains exactly why consolidations don't always save money and can actually raise taxes and spending. Any district that considers merging has to do a great deal of research and only move forward if it is the right option for them. Not because of threats made by politicians. I haven't heard of any interest in the Eden community to merge with another district because frankly, communities like how things are operating. One parent told me they don’t want their child traveling one way on a bus for an hour and a half,” said Comptroller Mychajliw.
In his report, Comptroller Mychajliw explains that the Eden School District received $1,555,739 in sales tax revenue in 2017. That funding is critical for programming and services. Comptroller Mychajliw said that figure is important to note during these conversations because comments have been made that the 1977 Sales Tax Agreement could be terminated if schools do not agree to discuss school mergers. The Comptroller added that he adamantly opposes this approach, instead supports school districts and their community members educating themselves on school mergers, the true costs/savings, and the process. To date, there have not been any organic movements from a local school community to seriously consider merging with another.
Towns served by the Eden School District also receive a share of sales tax revenue. According to the report completed by the Audit Division, the totals for 2017 were as follows: Boston, $1,165,745; Concord, $694,658; Eden, $1,064,420; Evans, $1,898,774; and North Collins, $342,886.
“I thought it was important to meet with the Eden school community to provide the facts about the sales tax sharing agreement, how it benefits them, and the issues I see with pushing school consolidation without fully understanding the proposal,” said Comptroller Mychajliw. “Of course taxpayers want to save on taxes, they are saddled with high property bills, but we can’t have officials providing false promises and incorrect data. I have proudly worked with the superintendents throughout this process and listened to their explanation of how their district works and how they are already sharing services to save money. My reports on sales tax revenue and school consolidations are available to every taxpayer who wants to understand the facts, and from there they can decide what is best for their towns and schools.”