By Hank Russell
It was close, but not close enough, as the proposed 2024-2025 budget for the Sachem School District failed to pass, despite a 4,175-4,129 vote in favor of the budget. But, because the proposed budget pierced the 2% tax cap — calling for a 4.8% increase in perpetuity — it would need 60% approval, which it did not get.
Fred Gorman, who is a taxpayer in the district, led the charge to have the budget voted down. He said it was unnecessary for the district to pierce the cap, considering that they already have more than $40 million in reserves. According to Gorman, the proposed property tax would cost each taxpayer $8,072.49 and each proposed tax increase would mean a financial impact of $344.08 per taxpayer. He placed ads and sent out emails urging people to vote “No” on the budget and even sent a letter to the editor; the result: twice as many people came out to vote than last year and more people rejecting the budget. According to Gorman, only 1,200 people refused to support the budget last year, compared to this year.
“My message [up until the vote] got through,” Gorman said. “Even better, my message got through today.”
What upset Gorman, he said, was that the budget cut out $11 million in services for the students. “That’s being a bully,” he said. “The school district is more interested in banking money than educating our children. … They were using scare tactics.
“Many schools treat their school districts as a financial company or a public corporation,” Gorman continued. “Public corporations have to maintain wealth. … School districts [hoard unspent funds] more than the fire districts do, and more than what the towns do.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to the Sachem Board of Education for comment, but did not hear back as of press time.
“A lot of people had it with [the district’s] high-and-mighty attitude,” Gorman said. “This [vote] will teach them not to [mess] around again.”
Sachem was one of two school districts that did not pass their budget. The only other district was West Babylon. According to various news report, it did not get the 60% supermajority required to pierce the tax cap. The proposed $136.88 million budget — which called for a 5.774% increase over last year’s budget and a 4.99% tax levy increase — passed 1,333-1,028, which is more than 50% approval, but less than the supermajority.