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FORT COVINGTON SUN Fort Covington, N.Y. 12937 3ft, 0 ntnr Second class postage pajd at FortCovington, N.Y. 12937 H Established 1885 Fort Covington, New York 12937 Price 30c USPS 205-680 Edition 332 September 4,1986 Board Presented With Petition Assessor Explains Although she was repres- enting some 200 people, Susan Fish Cushman appeared alone at the August 27th meeting of the Board of Education. She expressed her gratitude to Superintendent Robert Lewis and acknowledged that after listening to his rationale for the creation of the Assist- ant Superintendent for Instruction post, that the idea was excellent and that it would certainly be beneficial to the children in the district. However, Ms. Cushman went on to ask the board to reconsider the job in light of the recently announced phase out of Central Foundry. The deepest consideration by the taxpayers of the district was that the impact of the factory closing was uncertain although it was highly proba- ble that the district would lose students which would result in an excessive birden being placed on fewer people. During a community meet- ing, it was suggested that John Dotte of Fort Covington or Wayne of Malone, both members of the faculty at SRCS and both final candi- dates for the postion be consi- dered on a part time basis. She submitted a petition which stated, \We the under- signed, concerned residents of the district, respectfully ask the Board of Education of said district to consider the follow- ing questions are their next regularly scheduled meeting: (1) Is the additional admi- nistrative postion needed in the district at this time? (2) If it is needed, then should the title and duties be of Assistant Superintendent for Instruction or should they be the title and duties of curri- culm coordinator? Ms. Cushman stated as she presented the document, \I hope when you make your final decsion, you take your friends and relatives into consideration.\ Why Fort Tax Levy Down, Bills Up Judy Howard Appointed Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Workshop For Women To Be Held in Massena A seminar on Personal Growth is being planned by the Business and Profession Women's Club of Massena. Workshops scheduled include Assertiveness Train- ing, Financial Planning, Time Management, Taking Risks, Women and the Law, Alone- ness, Medicare/Social Secur- ity, Surviving Adolescents, Women's Bodies/Women's Minds, and Color and Make- Up. This seminar is an all day event scheduled to be held at the First United Methodist Church, Main Street. Each of the 10 scheduled workshops focuses on one spe- cific area of women's lives. Registration is limited to the first 150 participants. The cost for the seminar is $20. for a choice of three workshops, lunch and child car if it is needed. For more information, con- tact Karen St. Hilaire, WMSA, Massena, 13662. Committee Meeting It is extremely important that all members attend the meeting of the Reading Center and Museum Committee. The meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Reading Center. Plans will be finalized for the Har- avest Bazaar to be held on Sept. 27. In announcing the appoint- ment of Judy Howard as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Superintendent Robert Lewis stated that the petition which the community has circulated was not disre- garded and certainly it was not with callous indifference to the wishes of those who had signed die petition that the board of education made the appoint- ment. Judy Howard is currently the principal of the Junior Senior High School in Lafayette, a small community which lies south of Syracuse. Ms. Howard will begin her duties at Salmon River Central on October 6th. Her salary will be $42,000. Lewis continued by stating, \the concern of the people centered on the fact that it was going to cost money in a time when we are facing the closing of a plant and uncertainty in the enrollment figures and the economic impact the district will feel should we face a drop in enrollment. \However he continued, \we have become very fiscally responsible to the extent that there has not been any great variance in the tax level or tax rate in the district. \As a result, this concern should be alleviated by the fact that we are in a good posture economically. \With the mandate and implementation of the regents action plan, requiring a change in curriculum, syllabi and achievement of our students all to take place over the next five years, we are facing a demand that we put a priority on curriculum in order to increase our academic stand- ing and in order to implement these programs, for the benefit of the students, we feeel that an additional administrative position is necessary.\ Additional Appointments In other action taken by the Board of Education, the fol- lowing appointments were made: Jane Johnston, for one year in Special Education at a salary of $16,240. Beatrice White, as a Limited English proficiency teacher at a salary of $18,140. Jennifer Kelly as a music teacher for the St. Regis Mohawk school and as and instrumental teacher for the campus school at a salary of $16,240. Department Heads approv- ed: Robert Robarge- Social Studies, John Dotte- Science, Bob Alpi- English, Gene Childs- Math. Debbie Marshall was granted tenure as a Non- Categorical Special Ed Teacher. Laura Beaudette was appointed as a food service helper at a salary of $4,389. Shirley Howard was appointed as a food service helper at a salary of $4,145. Deborah Huthins was appointed an a Elementary teacher, certified in N-6 at a salary of $160,240. Wanda Jock was appointed as school nurse at a salary of $10,822. Ann Jock was hired as a Special Education aid, and Sonja Mitchell as an Elemen- tary aid, each at a salary of $7,102. Tammy Henderson was hired as a school monitor at a salary of $5,923. Kevin Walbridge was hired as a business teacher at a salary of $16,240. Mathilda(Tillie) Therrien has been appointed as school tax collector. (Ed Note:) If you are resident of Fort Covington and have understood that the tax rate in Fort Covington was going down, when you receive your school tax bill, you are going to wonder why it is for more money than your 85-86 bill. In view of the fact that we received a letter from Fort Covington tax assessor, Mar- ion Elliott last May asking us to \bear with her\ as our assessed valuation was increased over the previous year which immediately brings to mind higher taxes, we asked Mrs. Elliott to explain why the tax rate went down, the amount of taxes paid went up. JDB By Marion Elliott The Fort* Covington Sun Office has requested, and I readily agree that all of you deserve, an explanation prior to the issuance ofthe 1986- 1987 school tax bills as to why Fort Covington's school tax rate went down $7.33 (from $126.37 to $119.04) per thousand dollars of as- sessed valuation and every- one's tax bill (specifically those properties on which there are buildings) will go up between $5.00 and $20.00 in total amount. Some com- mercial establishments will go up slightly more .The lower the assessment, the lower will be the increase in the total tax bill. As almost all of you are aware, I applied to the New York State Division of Equal- ization and Asssessment for a special equalization rate on the basis of raises in as- sessments I made on all parcels with buildings this past spring. I anticipated that we would need a school tax rate of approximately $116.00 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation to keep our res- idential school tax bills the same amount as they were last year. I also anticipted that we would need an equal- ization rate of 15.75% to keep the same individual total school tax bill on such parcels as last year, with some vari- ation between low and high assessed paracels. Naturally, I was disappointed when the special equalization rate that was given me by the State was 15.27%. Last year the equalization rate was 14.41%. This 15.27% is for school tax purposes only and the final one to be issued in time for use in preparing county and town taxes may be higher or lower. , Explanation of the deter- mination of equalization rates should be noted here. I have little or no control over them. However, I do know this — that if some raises are not made each year on existing properties (not new construc- tion), the town will lose equal- ization points. Losing equal- ization points, however small, will result in a higher true total town value and, therefore, an increase in the value of individual properties. The result would be a greater contribution to the operation of school and county gov- ernments because those levies (taxes) are based on the in- dividual town's (those in- volved) total taxable full values. Equalization rates are based primarily on two factors: 1) Appraisals of random (com- puter) picked town properties as viewed in the eyes of real estate appraisers appointed by the state. These people may or may not be familiar with the area and its property values, which are entirely different from those in Albany, for example. Though they and I may agree on the value of some properties chosen, there are always a number on which we are in total disagreement. Attempts to appeal these determinations have, here to fore, been to no avail, I could prove this point by illustration, but it would not be fair for me to publicly single out any in- dividual's property. 2) Usable sales of properties in town. The word usable refers to arms length transfers which hare those that occur between a willing buyer and a willing seller. It excludes all of those exchanges that occur between individuals and their relatives and those between individuals and gov- ernment agencies because such buyers and sellers would naturally affect the selling price. If the ratio of the assessment of the usable sale; to the selling price is at, above or very close to the currem equalization rate, there is nc problem. But, if the ratio oi assessment to selling price is way out of proportion tc the equalization rate (by this (Cont'd on Page 6)
