Board of Education approves tax levy of $32,489,165 and the associated tax rates

At a public meeting on Monday, July 24, 2023, the Scotia-Glenville school board members voted 6 to 0 to adopt a resolution that increases tax rates for 2023-24. 

The tax rate for the Scotia-Glenville Central School District for the Town of Glenville and Village residents will increase by 1.49% for 2023-24 based on final equalization rates and assessed values received from the NYS Office of Real Property Tax Services (ORPTS) and local assessors respectively. The tax levy is based on utilizing $4,043,558 of fund balance (prior year budget $4,519,504). The tax rate per $1,000 for the three towns within the school districts is as follows:

• Town of Amsterdam: $235.635 (5.17%)
• Town of Charlton: $29.989 (5.41%)
• Town of Glenville: $24.256 (1.49%)

The approved tax rate is less than the 2.09% rate increase that was projected before the May budget vote due to assessed value growth of approximately $19 million (prior year growth $7.95 million). Assessed value growth was derived from Target ($11,600,000), partial assessment for Dutch Meadows apartments ($2,800,000), various new commercial buildings on Route 50 ($1,200,000) and miscellaneous building permits for additions and new construction. The projected impact on a property assessed at $160,000 will be an increase of $57 before STAR. Last year, the increase amounted to $37 before STAR.

The tax levy will increase by $941,814 to $32,489,165. We can expect about 8% or $2,625,000 to be derived from STAR (prior year $2,629,580).

The levy reflects an increase of 2.99% from the prior year which is below the allowable maximum tax levy cap of 4.33% and reflects the amount approved by a simple majority of the voters this past May.

The Basic STAR and Senior STAR exemptions are calculated by a formula provided by ORPTS to our tax preparer.

• The Basic STAR exemption savings is $596.
• The Enhanced STAR exemption savings is $1,199.

In 2019, revisions to the law were made to allow a choice of the STAR exemption (reflected on the tax bill) or the STAR credit (receive a check back from NYS after paying taxes). The STAR exemption savings cannot increase but the STAR credit can increase by as much as 2% each year.