KENNEBUNK — A new cost-sharing formula will head to the RSU
21 Board of Directors which will now decide when to take it to voters.
The Cost Sharing Review Committee finalized its proposal on
Monday, June 18, which affects the cost sharing between Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
and Arundel. Any change, if approved by a two thirds majority of total voters
within the district, will not occur until fiscal year 2014.
The five-year formula proposes that the district share over
essential programs and services (EPS) costs using a weighted formula based on 90
percent state valuation and 10 percent on pupil count, plus each town's tax
increment financing districts' assessed value. Over EPS applies to the portion
of the RSU 21 budget that is above the state's essential programs and services
model, which could include athletics and other programming.
The total school budget is $36 million, with the over EPS
portion totaling $5.3 million or 14.7 percent. The current cost-sharing formula
is based on 60 percent state valuation and 40 percent pupil count.
The proposal shifts a greater burden to the town of
Kennebunkport, which has a higher ratio of property values to pupil count than
Arundel and Kennebunk. Under the proposal, Kennebunkport's mil rate is
anticipated to increase by .23 cents to $1.17, while Arundel's is expected to
drop by .55 cents to $1.50 and Kennebunk's by .10 cents to $1.38.
For Arundel residents, the shift would lower their tax bill
by $55 for each $100,000 in assessed property value, and for those in Kennebunk,
the bill would drop by $10 for each $100,000 of assessed property value. In
Kennebunkport, the annual tax bill would increase by $23 for each $100,000 of
assessed property value.
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