Schools readying for budget votes

Wayland-Cohocton Central School District

The Wayland-Cohocton school board approved a $27.69 million budget, up $206,000, or 5.67 percent, from the $26.19 million budget passed last year.

In the budget, the school will levy $6.45 million in property taxes on the district, up $2.24 percent from $6.3 million in the 2007-08 budget.

Taxpayers wil see a tax rate of $17.06 per $1,000 of true assessed property value, up $0.38, or 2.28 percent, from last year’s tax rate of $16.68 per $1,000.

A property owner living in a $50,000 house with the Basic STAR exemption will pay approximately $511.80, up $11.40 from last year’s $500.40

The public will see the full budget at a hearing at 7 p.m. May 13 in the Large Group Instruction Room at the Wayland campus.

Incumbent John Sick will be joined on the ballot by newcomer Philip Trautman for two open seats on the Wayland-Cohocton school board.

Other propositions include increasing the schools payments to local libraries. Under the proposition, the Wayland Wayland Free Library Association will receive an additional $5,000, the E.J. Cottrell Library in Atlanta will get $2,000 more and an additional $10,000 is earmarked for the Cohocton Public Library.

The district also will have a proposition establishing a new vehicle and equipment reserve fund, which will ultimately set aside $2 million for new buses and other equipment.