Andy Close
RUSSELL, Pa. – The Warren County School District faces the possibility of having to raise taxes in the future if it wants to avoid falling revenue.
At Monday’s finance committee meeting, Director of Business Services Jim Grosch outlined preliminary five-year projections. Those indicate that the district faces approximately a $5.6 million deficit for the 2022-23 school year.
That deficit would bring the district’s fund balance under $13 million. It currently is projected to be at approximately $18 million by the end of this schools year.
That presents the district with a dilemma, as the projected value on Warren County properties is expected to go down from $460 million to $456 million, per Grosch.
That assessment would leave the district with a projected loss of about $220,000 in property tax revenue at the district’s current millage rate.
“We would have to do an increase just to keep our tax revenues the same,” said Finance Chair Arthur Stewart. “That’s just wrong.”
The board is still several months away from having to make any tax-related decisions.
