Some Batavia school tax bills will drop

It may not be much of a decrease, but some Batavia school district taxpayers will pay less to the school district this spring.

But while that seems like good news, it is happening because their properties decreased in value by a higher percent rate than the overall drop in the district's assessed valuation.

Kris Monn, assistant superintendent for finance, presented the final official figures on the district's 2010 equalized assessed value and the total 2010 tax rate.

In February, the board voted to abate some of its debt-service tax levy to keep taxpayers' bills the same as they were for 2009. Previously, the district's goal was to keep its tax rate at about $4.69, no matter what the EAV was. The board had pledged to stay at $4.69 when it asked voters' permission to borrow $75 million in 2007 for building expansions and repairs. The new rate is $4.90 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.

Overall, the district's property value dropped 3.84 percent without figuring in the value of new construction; Monn had previously estimated a decrease of 2.75 percent. Within that, residential property value decreased 4.36 percent, commercial and industrial property a half-percent each, and farmland's value increased 10 percent.

In other news, the board agreed to table a new contract with Sodexo for school lunches, at the request of board President Ron Link.

The proposal called for the district to pay 1.3 percent more for meals, a la carte items and meal management. The percent was determined by an increase in the Consumer Price Index for Food Away From Home.

The board raised meal charges last month, but the district picks up the management costs.

Link wants staff to ask for a better deal — namely, same service, same food, no price increase.

“I really want to take an approach ... to outside vendors ... that it is not business as usual in Batavia any more,” he said, noting the board is trying to figure out a way to cut $2.5 million out of its next budget and that it had given layoff notices to 65 certified personnel recently.

Trustees Joseph Purpura and Jayne Resek said that at their regular jobs, customers have asked for and received lower prices on contracts lately. But Trustee Kristin Behmer said she worries about losing Sodexo over price, saying it has done a better job than other vendors the district had.