After some 15 failed votes stretching over two meetings, the Derby tax board approved a 3.6 percent increase for the school district Monday night.
Up next for the Derby budget — a public hearing, now scheduled for Monday, May 23 in the Aldermanic Chambers in City Hall.
The $18,374,000 approved by the tax board is preliminary — and well below the $19 million the school board requested to fund the schools next year.
The school board had requested an increase of 7.22 percent, saying they’re trying to catch up after years of under-funding by the city. That budget request included the elimination of four teaching positions in the school district.
Tax board members agonized over two meetings — the first of which was held last week — to come up with a dollar amount for the school district.
The 10 members of the tax board — five Democrats and five Republicans — had trouble agreeing on a final number for the school district.
Seven “yes” votes were needed to get a dollar amount approved, but the board kept killing proposals along party lines.
Republicans wouldn’t spend as much as education as the Democrats wanted — and the Democrats wouldn’t come down to the Republican number.
The meeting was interrupted twice so the two parties could break into caucuses to figure out how to proceed.
Corporation Counsel Joseph Coppola said the tax board had to get some number down on paper, if only so the city could properly notice next week’s public hearing, as required by state law.
Still, neither side could agree on a number — even one that could change next week.
The most the Republicans would spend on the school district was $18,355,496.
The lowest number the Democrats supported was $18,394,000 (a dollar amount proposed by Republican Jeremy Bell).
The final dollar amount was a compromise — one that will probably change prior to the end of the month, when a final budget is due.
The total Derby budget at the moment is $35.5 million.
Superintendent Stephen Tracy repeated comments he made last week, saying the school district has done everything in its power to tighten its belt.
He said it is unfortunate that the budget debate has focused simply on the percent increase. No one on the tax board or in city government has suggested precisely where the fat is in the proposed school budget, Tracy said.
After the meeting, Mayor Anthony Staffieri said any tax increase is bad for Derby, due to the economy, gas prices — and the tax increases just approved by state lawmakers.
“Every little bit hurts,” Staffieri said.
In past interviews, Staffieri has said the city can no longer afford increases year after year for the school district.
Click the video to see some of the failed votes from Monday’s tax board meeting, plus the deliberations that took place between votes.
