In addition to the tax increase, about $710,000 in fund balance was used in this year’s budget. “Unfortunately, you’ll see over the last three or four years, we’ve had state aid cuts. “As the town was growing, taxes were able to be reduced,” Scharle said about tax rate cuts from about 10 years ago. Later in the presentation, he discussed how recent state aid cuts have had an effect on the tax rate over the last five years.

“But that’s the calculation you have to deal with.” “I don’t agree with the calculation,” Scharle said. He talked about how a multiplier used in calculating the local fair share number has been constantly changing from year to year, making it difficult for the district to budget. Scharle said the increasing valuation of the township and an increase in district income combined with a change in how state aid was calculated led to the larger increase. School officials were only anticipating a cut of about $119,000.

Harrison Township will receive $5,816,551 in state aid, a reduction of about $201,000 from last year. The school district is receiving a larger cut in state aid than it was anticipating for 2020-2021. During a presentation prior to the vote, Superintendent Missy Peretti and Business Administrator Robert Scharle explained how a decrease in state aid has been a factor in recent tax increases, as well as a burden for the district in the budget process.

Harrison township taxes