Hamilton School Taxes Expected to Rise 2.8% Under New Budget

The Hamilton School Board approved Monday evening, and due to declining state aid, it contains tax increases for residents.

The budget now needs to be approved by residents at the district’s annual meeting on June 18.

The total proposed budget is $49.1 million — an increase of more than 1.5 percent compared to this year’s budget. However, the district is quick to point out the proposed budget is still more than .

“This is really the same budget presentation and same data we presented two meetings ago,” said Business Services Assistant Superintendent Bryan Ruud. “The levy is up 2.78 from this year to the next because of a decrease in aid.”

“We’re continuing to see a trend, a shift of our revenue from the state to the local taxpayer...”

The  is expecting to receive only 38 percent of its revenue from the state, a 2 percent decrease from this school year. That means taxpayers will be expected to chip in more than 58 percent. The rest comes from other income, such as fees, and other aid.

“We’re continuing to see a trend, a shift of our revenue from the state to the local taxpayer,” Ruud told the board in April. “There are less dollars coming from the state, especially because we’re a very property wealthy area. Income from the state and the tax levy have always hovered around 50-50, but we’re seeing a trend with less money from the state.”

The budget calls for a property tax levy of $31.5 million — a 2.8 percent increase over the previous year.

The projected property tax rate is $10.41 per $1,000 of equalized property value, also a 2.8 percent increase. The owner of a home valued at $300,000 will pay $84 more than last year in school taxes when bills are mailed out in December, officials estimate.