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How do school taxes compare 2005 vs. 2007?
Average homeowner's share actually falls
How can the homeowner's share of school taxes go
down when the cost of education continues to increase?
The newspapers report that the school budget has
increased and that our tax rates are rising. Even the district’s
budget brochure agrees. Can the amount of property tax we pay
actually go down?
The answer is “Yes!”
The explanation is found in changes in increase
in two State programs: 1) state aid payments made directly to
the school district and 2) the STAR (School Tax Relief) Program.
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State Aid
Each year, New York State budgets funds to
educate our children. These monies help cover such costs as
general education, special programs, building projects, and
student transportation. Over the past few years, the State
has recognized that it must assume a greater role in
distributing our tax dollars to assure that children in all
school districts receive a comparable education. For a
district like Canajoharie, that means we have received a
larger share of funds.
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STAR
In 2007, the State increased the
STAR exemption (the
portion of your home’s value that is exempt from school
taxes) and the amount of the STAR rebate. These two STAR
components helped offset increases in the school tax levy
over the last three years for the average district
homeowner. For homeowners who qualified for Enhanced STAR,
the homeowner share fell substantially.
To help sort it out, click the links below to
see how school taxes compare for the three major towns in our
school district. Each link compares the school taxes on a
$100,000 home at full value in 2005 to the taxes on that same
home in 2007.
After deducting the STAR exemption and the 2007
STAR rebate, the actual taxes for the average homeowner are
lower in 2007 than they were in 2005.
Note: These comparisons are valid for homeowners
who qualify under the STAR program and are not representative of
commercial properties and non-qualifying homeowners.
Compare taxes for:
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