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Demolition to breathe life into dormant WB development plan

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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; Dallas School Board took a vote that has become rare in the region, approving a &#8220;proposed final budget&#8221; with no tax increase for the 2019-20 school year at Monday&#8217;s meeting.</p><p>A final vote must be taken by June 30 according to state law, but the underpinnings for the no-hike decision aren&#8217;t likely to change. Both Business Manager Grant Palfey and Superintendent Thomas Duffy credited the refinancing of old debt at lower interest rates and an increase in tax collection proficiency.</p><p>&#8220;Our tax collection rate went up from about 95 percent to 97 percent,&#8221; Duffy said, conceding he wasn&#8217;t sure why.</p><p>That, coupled with &#8220;significant savings due to a refinance,&#8221; Palfey said, allowed the district to pass a budget of $39.9 million &#8212; up from this year&#8217;s total spending estimate of $38.6 million &#8212; without any tax increase.</p><p>The no-increase budget comes even as the district is nearing completion of a new intermediary center &#8212; which will replace Dallas Elementary School &#8212; estimated at a cost of $16.8 million. Duffy said the school is about 80 percent complete.</p><p>In January, the board had voted to keep any property tax hike under a state limit known as the &#8220;Act 1 Index.&#8221; The index can vary from district to district and year to year. This year&#8217;s index for Dallas is a 2.7 percent increase. If School Boards agree to stay with in the limit early in the year, they get more time to draw up a preliminary budget. If they decide to exceed the limit and seek either state or voter approval, they must finish a preliminary budget by the end of February.</p><p>At the time of that vote, board member Pat Musto stressed the vote did not mean there would be an increase. &#8220;It means anywhere from zero percent to 2.7 percent,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Turns out, at least so far, it will be the former.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

No tax hike in Dallas thanks to refinancing, better tax collection