School district refers half million dollars in unpaid taxes to county
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH — The Haverling school district Wednesday reported unpaid 2008 school taxes totaled $489,000, an amount Steuben County will assume responsibility for collecting.

The county also will pay the uncollected taxes to the school district as it initiates the collection process. Haverling Business Manager Roger Parulski told school board members he expects that payment to arrive in March or April of 2009.

Parulski noted the uncollected taxes total about 12 percent of the overall 2008 tax bill, but he advised board members that amount is consistent with past years. School district taxpayers, he said, may have numerous reasons for not paying the annual school property taxes. "People who are farmers, for example, who this year aren't going to make a profit but next year will," Parulski said.

Eventually, the individual tax bill has to be paid, or the taxpayer may lose their property in a sheriff's auction.

Board member L. Jay Dickson cautioned school officials should be wary of the fact local residents have piled up nearly $500,000 in an unpaid annual taxes, particularly in light of dire national economic reports. "We've got to be very concerned," he said.

In spite of the gloomy economic forecast, district Superintendent Marion Tunney has advised board members to take a wait-and-see attitude toward New York Gov. David Patterson's proposal to cut school aid midway through the 2008-09 school year. Under Patterson's proposal, Haverling would lose $553,000 from its promised $21 million in state aid.

Tunney and Parulski last week said they would try to reduce spending though the year if the governor's cuts take effect. Historically, however, they noted, the state Legislature and the governor compromise on state aid formulas, with the Legislature upping the governor's initial proposal.