The print edition of today's Ithaca Journal has a summary of the Dryden Central Schools budget. It's a little strange - the subhead says "Faculty Cuts Keep Levy Under Target" - but the box doesn't actually list the tax levy change, saying only that the rate is not yet set. The budget cuts 9.8 staff and faculty teachers, and rebuilds the district's capital reserve fund, which was hit by higher fuel and staff costs last year. The budget has increased 7.39%, and state aid, which is close to 50% of the budget, increased 6.09%.
There's a Dryden DWI in the Monitor.
On the opinion page, former Dryden County Legislator Mike Lane teams with fellow former Legislator Peter Penniman to urge the end of the density policy for subsidizing development in downtown Ithaca:
It is wrong for the Density Policy to provide incentives for a project in one municipality at the expense of one in another. While downtown Ithaca is an historic commercial area, it is only one of many in the county. In 2000, downtown was hurting and needed help. Since then, promoters of the Downtown Business District have done a great job of revitalizing the area. It simply doesn't need additional specialized tax abatements to keep it healthy....
It is time to level the playing field. The Density Policy should be completely rescinded, and the IDA should return to granting tax abatements only for the production and preservation of more good paying local jobs, something that is still very much needed in this county.
If you're curious where the state budget ended up, Jay Gallagher offers a report on what remains to be settled in state spending for the next year.
Posted by simon at May 2, 2006 8:36 AM in Ithaca Journal , politics (state) , schools (Dryden)