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The Lansing Board of Education set the tax rate Monday for the 2013-2014 school year at $20.69 per thousand dollars of assessed property value.  That number represents an 4.28% increase in the tax rate and a 6.66% increase in the $15,571,475 tax levy, the portion of the $26,536,296 budget that is collected in property taxes.

District Business Administrator Mary June King presented two scenarios including one that would have set the tax rate to $20.52.

"When you voted in April and the public voted in May you voted on the budget. Nobody's voting on the levy.  You're voting on the amount of the budget, how much you are going to allow us to spend," King told the Board.  "It's at this moment, after we've received the roles from the County Assessment Board on July 1, that you determine what levy you want to direct me to go out and collect."

The less costly scenario would set the levy at $15,576,959, while the higher option set it at $15,705,332.  Both options are below the so-called 'two percent tax cap' figure, $15,940,642, allowed for this budget by New York State.

School Board President Glenn Swanson asked for a recommendation from Superintendent Chris Pettograsso.

"Knowing that we're going to be using $1.25 million out of our reserve account and our long term projections show the most difficult years are the ones coming up, I am recommending that we continue to use what our recommendation was, the $20.69," said she said.

The board voted on the $20.69 tax rate 6/0.

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