NW Lehigh school board to vote to repeal senior tax rebate.

REBATE WAS MEANT TO HELP SENIORS, WIDOWS AND DISABLED TO KEEP THEIR HOMES

PARKLAND AND OTHER LOCAL DISTRICTS HAVE SIMILAR REBATE

The Northwestern Lehigh school board is planning on repealing the Senior property tax rebate program at their June 15th meeting. This rebate was enacted in June 2015. it was fashioned after the rebate program of Parkland and other local school districts. Parkland has had such a program since 2005.

This Program was opposed by then board member Willard Dellicker who is now the board president. He stated at its enactment that it was a form of redistribution of wealth and that he would repeal it as soon as a new board was elected.

The stated reason now given is that it is not clearly a mandated function in the school code, but neither is astro turf and other vanity enhancements readily approved by the school board.

Most school boards understand that many retired, widows and disabled's incomes no longer rise, while property taxes increase on a yearly basis.

This program cost the school district around $30,000 in revenue and averages $344. per recipient, a pittance as being part of the new budget of $50,183,998.00. This years budget will include a 3.4% increase in the property tax. This board has increased the property tax every year since its election.

They are also planning on taking on another $14.5 million in debt to be added to the $42,687,000.00 existing debt.

It seems it much more of a political decision than an economic decision for the school district.