School Districts vs. NYS Tax Cap

While some school districts and unions are reportedly considering suing to overturn a provision in New York State’s new tax cap law, cooler heads are urging them to take a "wait-and-see" attitude for the time being - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports

In New Paltz, the school budget got 59.3 percent of the vote. But it failed. The reason: the tax cap requires a 60 percent supermajority of votes to override a school district’s tax-levy limit — Judging by the recent annual school budget elections, the supermajority requirement made an impact.

Superintendants districts who have seen their  budgets defeated now must go back to "square one".  Some officials have suggested the situation may require a legal remedy to resolve:  New York State United Teachers spokesman Carl Corn says NYSUT is analyzing the results of the recent budget voting, and the one fact that "jumps out" is the 60 per cent supermajority requirement.

Tim Kremer is the executive director of the New York State School Boards Association: he concedes there is great concern over the issue of "minority rule" -Kremer's message to the districts: wait until after June 19th before going off in a new direction