Wallkill Valley Times Apr. 24 2019

Vol. 37, No. 17 3 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019 3 ONE DOLLAR Vikings hand Marlboro first loss Page 36 w w w .W V T I M ESON L I N E . c om Maybrook trustees reject budget By LAURA FITZGERALD [email protected] The Maybrook village board voted down the proposed 2019-20 budget, which proposed a 9 percent tax increase. Had the proposed budget gone through, the new 2019-20 tax rate for a Town of Montgomery resident would have been $15.43 per $1,000 assessed, up from $14.17 last year. The new 2019-20 tax rate for a Town of Hamptonburg resident, which has a small contingency in Maybrook, would have been $10.03 per $1,000 assessed. Currently, the village’s fund balance is at zero, so the tax hike would have helped replenish the fund balance. The zero- fund balance has caused the Office of the State Comptroller to list the village as moderately stressed for fiscal year ending in 2018. Continued on page 2 Easter Bunny and friends Pine Bush approves $119 million budget By LAURA FITZGERALD [email protected] Laura Fitzgerald The Wallkill High School Leo Club facilitated the annual Wallkill Lions Easter Egg Hunt last Saturday, providing games, face painting, music and more. The event was moved inside because of the rain. The Pine Bush Central School District approved an approximately $118.77 million budget for a public vote at its last board meeting on April 9, an increase of 2.23 percent. Totaling $53.9 million, voters will also vote on two capital improvement projects for infrastructure maintenance and upgrades and athletic improvements. Assistant Superintendent of Business Michael Pacella said the tax levy for the budget—the amount raised by taxes— would increase by 3.07 percent, staying within the tax cap. The tax levy is $60.05 million, an increase of $1.78 million from last year. This year’s budget goals were to maintain the strong educational standards of the district within the legal financial constraints; address state standards, maintain and decrease class sizes; minimize out of district special education offerings; and offer other curricular and extracurricular options. The expansion of foreign language to seventh grade was added on a half time basis to this year’s budget. Students would take the Spanish program every other day for the full year before the full year begins in eighth grade, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Donna Geidel said. Two Spanish teachers would be added Continued on page 4 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL