As home values fall in Niskayuna, school tax rate climbs

Declining property values are pushing up the Niskayuna school tax rate.

The Board of Education recently voted to set a homestead tax rate of $17.47 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, which is an increase of 4.22 percent. The owner of an average home assessed at $250,000 would pay about $178 more in taxes for a bill of $4,368 — before any STAR tax exemptions.

The $77.2 million budget that voters approved in May contained a 3.95 percent increase in the tax levy. However, the poor economy and real estate market has decreased the total property assessment for Niskayuna, according to Superintendent Susan Salvaggio.

“We’ve lost some value in commercial property in the community,” she said. “We’ve also lost some pretty significant value in residential property.”

The total value of the commercial property in all four towns in the district — Niskayuna, Glenville, Colonie and Clifton Park — declined by $4.2 million from $489.5 million to $485.3 million.

Matt Bourgeois, assistant superintendent for business, said that Niskayuna does not have a large tax base. Mohawk Commons is in the South Colonie Central School District, he added.

Total residential property declined by about $1.2 million, according to Bourgeois.

“These lost assessment values are making us have to redistribute the same levy amount to a lesser base and therefore resulting in a higher tax rate,” he said.

The tax rate for Glenville is going up 4.27 percent from $18.35 to $19.13. For Colonie, it is going up 3.42 percent from $25.42 to $26.29. In Clifton Park, it is going up 4 percent from $28.95 to $30.10.

The Board of Education had considered taking the money out of its surplus to lower the Niskayuna tax rate to the 3.95 percent level. However, Salvaggio said it did not want to go in that direction. It already used $4.2 million of its surplus to balance the budget.

School officials also could have cut three teaching positions, four secretary positions or eight teaching assistants but declined. The board in the spring already cut eight teaching jobs, nearly 25 support staff and two administrators.

“This district did a good job the last couple of years, pulling back and making reductions as far away from the children as possible,” she said.