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WRIGHT TWP. &mdash; Although he admitted to voting twice for tax hikes previously, Crestwood School Board President James Costello voting against a tax hike this year, his first as president, and felt the need to explain his stance.
				&ldquo;When I decided to take on the role of presidency it wasn&rsquo;t because I wanted a title, it was because I realized the need to strengthen our relationship among our district stakeholders and community members,&rdquo; Costello wrote in an email after the board narrowly approved a final budget with a 2.5% tax hike, reversing a decision in May to approve a preliminary final budget with no tax hike.
				Costello joined three other board members in rejecting the tax hike: Anna Bibla, Maureen McGovern and Randy Swank. The vote came after lengthy and sometimes heated debate during a live streaming of the virtual meeting on the district&rsquo;s Facebook page &mdash; a video stream that abruptly cut off just minutes before the vote. Solicitor Jack Dean has said he will recommend the board hold a special meeting to cast the votes again because of the technical glitch. Under state law, that meeting and vote must occur by June 30.
				Costello pointed to his own efforts at transparency to gain public trust, noting he implemented monthly committee meetings open to the public, and that the board held four public budget meetings leading up to Thursday&rsquo;s vote.
				He called the tax increase vote &ldquo;a major step backwards in this effort. As the president, I have still not viewed or reviewed how this tax increase will directly affect our budget. Ladies and Gentleman this is not transparency, this is what appears to be pushing some hidden agenda that we are not privileged to.&rdquo;
				He did not elaborate, but wrote that he wanted the sentiment &ldquo;on the record.&rdquo;
				Costello cited the number of free meals the district has been handing out as proof residents are already struggling financially. Area districts have been providing free breakfasts and lunches to students since Gov. Tom Wolf first ordered all schools closed in March, an order later extended to keep them closed to the end of the school year this month.
				Costello said a vote for a tax increase at this time shows a failure to &ldquo;understand the financial impact that many of our community businesses and families have endured and will continue to endure throughout this pandemic.&rdquo;
				The dispute over a tax increase arose during a June 10 committee meeting, when Superintendent Robert Mehalick and Business Manager Peter Bard both apologized for presenting only one option &mdash; with no tax increase &mdash; in May when the board voted on a preliminary final budget. Both administrators said the district could get by in 2020-21 without a tax hike, but cited a large balloon debt payment of $2.4 million in 2021-22 that could cripple district finances, and suggested the board consider two other options, a 2.5% increase or a 3.2% increase.
				At Thursday&rsquo;s meeting, the board voted on a no-increase budget, but that motion failed. Costello suspended the meeting and moved into a work session, with several members arguing it was a bad time for tax increase while others countered that, without it, the district will exhaust its limited reserves and have no money for emergencies or unexpected costs, including for any safety measures against the COVID-19 pandemic when students return to class this fall.
				They argued that no tax hike this year will force the board to either make drastic cuts next year or raise taxes by more than 6% for 2021-22.
				The 2.5 % increase was then fashioned into a new agenda item and Costello adjourned the work session and returned to the regular meeting, but the video cut out before the board voted 5-4 in favor of the tax hike.

Costello explains vote on Crestwood budget