Ithaca City School District budget, with high tax levy increase, rejected by voters

Ithaca taxpayers overwhelmingly rejected the Ithaca City School District’s budget plan for the 2024-2025 academic year at the polls Tuesday, forcing the district to resubmit a proposal.

The budget was rejected by 70% of the voters, 4,916 to 2,058, according to preliminary results from Tuesday's vote, and showed strong opposition to the district's plan to exceed New York's tax levy limit. The district's proposed 8.42% tax levy increase would have required a 60% supermajority vote.

The district now must resubmit its current proposal or create a revised proposed budget for a June 18 revote, options highlighted in an FAQ on the ICSD website. The district could also adopt a contingency budget. If voters reject the proposed budget a second time, the district would be forced to operate under a contingency budget.

The district's board of education did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday.

According to the district, a contingency budget would have to levy the same amount of taxes as in the current year, which would equal a levy of $107,714,290, an increase of $1,276,141 or 0.8%. According to the district website, a contingency would "identify the expenditures deemed necessary to operate and maintain schools," and would include cuts to athletics, extracurricular activities, non-mandated transportation and more.

Taxpayers also voted to reject the appropriation and expenditure of Capital Reserve Funds, 3,830 votes to 2,980, and the district's proposed 2024 Capital Project also failed, 3,919 votes to 3,014.

Tuesday's vote also decided which three candidates will fill the school board’s open seats. The three leading candidates were Emily Workman, with 4,393 votes, Dr. Adam Krantweiss (3,953) and Todd Fox (2,805).

For more information on the district’s ongoing budget process, visit its website, and click on budget FAQs or voter information.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Ithaca City School District 2024-25 budget, capital plans rejected