Riverview's 'Very Preliminary' Budget Includes Tax Increase

Residents in the Riverview School District might experience a real estate tax increase next fiscal year, but it's too early to tell, according to school officials.

On Monday, the school board approved a $17.8 million preliminary budget. The budget includes a 0.58-mill tax increase. The current millage rate is 24.7864 mills.

With the proposed tax increase, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay about $58 more next school year.

Superintendent Chuck Erdeljac said the district is in a bind because officials have yet to receive county-mandated property reassessment figures. Those figures definitely will affect next school year's budget in terms of how much revenue the district will receive from real estate taxes.

real estate assessments could increase, meaning the tax millage could decrease. The preliminary budget revenues reflect the 2011 property assessment values.

Allegheny County Judge Stanton Wettick ruled that county officials must release preliminary reassessment numbers to districts in six area models—Oakmont and Verona are included in those models—by Dec. 1, with certified numbers being released in January.

However, Riverview officials have been concerned because the county previously had to have all reassessments completed by January, but they fell behind. There had been discussion of a tentative April 1, 2012 release date.

"We're aware of the perplexity of guessing revenue," Erdeljac said.

Officials also are concerned because they are uncertain as to how much money the Riverview School District will receive from the state. That figure will be unknown until the state budget is passed in June 2012.

District officials must decide by Jan. 6 if they are going to apply for exceptions or seek a referendum vote to raise taxes more than the allowed state index—this year's limit is 2.1 percent. The current proposed tax increase exceeds that limit.

Erdeljac said Clair will be diligently attentive to the reassessment issue.

School board member John Hackworth said the preliminary budget figures are not etched in stone.

"This is a very preliminary budget," he said. "There may be substantial changes."

The district has until the end of June 2012 to pass a final budget.