Staggering cost of Utica teacher health benefits

[dgriffin]

The Utica Observer-Dispatch


Staggering cost of Utica teacher health benefits proves a burden to taxpayers

O-D receives accounting estimate through Freedom of Information Law request


UTICA — When the Utica Board of Education approved retiree health-care benefits for a large group of teachers 16 months ago, it had no idea what the added burden to taxpayers might be.

Now, officials do know — and the price tag is staggering.

For its assets to keep up with its added retiree benefit obligations, Utica’s school district should be setting aside $14 million more per year than the $5 million it budgets for retiree health costs now, according to an accounting form obtained by the Observer-Dispatch under the Freedom of Information Law.

The district’s current budget is about $130 million. Technically, covering the retiree benefits in full could mean a 50 percent increase in the tax levy, according to district figures explaining how spending increases affect the amount raised in taxes.

www.uticaod.com/news/utica/x231950137/New-Utica-teacher-benefit-to-cost-many-millions

I take note of this, because I'm sure it's happening all over the state, and I await similar word from my local school district.

[Deleted]

When I read the story I couldn't believe what Willis & the board had done. This is the biggest ripoff ever put over on Utica taxpayers. Let's see. Picente raised county taxes, Roefaro is going to hammer us with a tax hike, the MVWA is getting their annual rate hike & the UCSD approves a golden parachute for retired teachers going back to '77? I have a question for the above. Don't you think that the taxpayers have just about had enough?

[dgriffin]

These guys (not just your politicians in the Mohawk Valley) don't really care what the taxpayers think. It's been proven over and over that voters will return them to office. I've become convinced that voting against every incumbent staring back at you in the voting booth is worth a try.

[yankee]

Ah, unions. Officially sanctioned blood suckers and barely legal thugs.

[Deleted]

Jan 28, 2010 21:01:39 GMT -5 yankee said:

Ah, unions. Officially sanctioned blood suckers and barely legal thugs.

Well, the union didn't put a gun to anyone's head. It was Wills & the board that approved this giveaway.

[clarencebunsen]

Is a conspiracy to commit larceny preferable to armed robbery?

[clarencebunsen]

Particularly if some of the conspirators are allowed to use funds from previous larcenies to elect their co-conspirators?

[dgriffin]

I was for a short time a public school teacher, unionized and happy to be so when dealing with the district administration. Salaries are a complicated issue, but in my never very humble opinion, overall they are too high in NY State school districts. And all the money is concentrated toward the top, which is the reason you hear Step One salaries most often quoted, and seldom hear of longevity bonuses, and other perqs. Administrator salaries are just simply too high.

I worked with a number of teachers who were extremely dedicated and never counted the hours. But I saw some who should have found other work, but probably would not have been able to keep it, their work ethic was so thin.

A killer in all school and municipal budgets now and in the future will be health care premiums, and taxpayers will will be footing ever escalating bills. There is no question that working public servants should take on more responsibility than, e.g., 5 percent of the cost of their health care packages.

Unions, such as NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) retain highly (and over) paid workers who have learned to play the game with school boards quite well. Mobilization of Johnny's parents is quite popular, and a school board member who has to face a bunch of screaming elementary school mothers will not soon forget his or her experience. These young women and their husbands learned how to speak in public and formulate publicity campaigns while attending one socialist state university or another. And thank god they learned to participate in the body politic and vent their opinions in the public sphere. But their teachers never added up the cost their dreams, nor mentioned that eventually these young men and women would foot the bill for their ideals.

School boards can and have executed some surprising moves. Google teacher pay cuts and you'll find more states or local boards are reneging on contracts or refusing to negotiate higher pay and benefits.

[dgriffin]

A school district to the south of me has residents that are really hurting. Here's an excerpt from a letter I received from one of the proponents of the School Tax Circuit Breaker. Note in particular the amount that school tax collections are behind in the town of Wawarsing ... 43.5% !!


Begin quote.

The Four Towns of the Rondout Valley School District Are Nearly $5,000,000 Behind in School Tax Collection

After consulting with town property assessors and county officials, Smith uncovered these distressing facts:

• Rondout Valley is #1 out of 692 school districts in NY in the number of residents failing to pay their property taxes.

• The four towns of the Rondout Valley School District are $4,985,544 behind in school tax collection: 18% of Marbletown school taxes are unpaid; 29% in Rochester, 43.5% in Wawarsing, and 9.5% in Rosendale.

• Studies commissioned by the RVSD project a 30% decline in high school enrollment and 10% decline across the district from 2008 through 2015. With the decline in enrollment, jobs and population, sales tax receipts have dropped precipitously in the county leaving property taxpapyers to cover more than their share of school and municipal taxes.

• The school district has an $8.5 million surplus, or 25% of the 2008-2009 tax levied on the district, according to the office of the NYS Comptroller, almost 3 times the amount allowed by the NYS Department of Education.

end of quote