Jeannette school directors plan 2nd session as they work at budget approval

A proposed 1-mill property tax increase failed to get enough affirmative votes Monday, so Jeannette City School District directors will meet again next week to get the 2025-26 budget approved before the June 30 deadline.

The tax hike got a 4-3 vote, but, to pass, a measure must get at least five votes. Two members of the nine-person board were absent during Monday’s school board meeting.

Superintendent Matt Jones said Tuesday that the business office will revise the preliminary 2025-26 spending plan and fill in any deficit with money from the fund balance.

“I don’t anticipate any significant cuts to any programs,” he said.

The original $24.7 million preliminary budget called for a 2-mill property tax increase, but after the district learned it would get more federal funding than anticipated, Jones said that amount was cut in half.

Before Monday’s vote, he told board members the 1-mill increase would hold revenue steady as the value of properties in Jeannette continues to decrease, resulting in less tax income.

“As that assessed value drops, if you don’t adjust your millage, essentially, what you’re doing is you’re handcuffing yourself and you collect less and less each year,” Jones said. “We’re trying to stay away from a scenario in which we’ll have to have a dramatic increase of millage at some point.”

Some school directors expressed opposition to the proposal.

“I think this year’s a really bad year to raise taxes because of the new administration federally and what’s occurring with the times … financially,” said Director Rachel Ramsey. “I would be in favor of just giving a reprieve for one year and then next year, I’m sorry, there’s going to have to be an increase.”

Ramsey and Directors Janice Smarto and B.J. Bortz opposed the increase.

Others on the board agreed that there should be incremental tax hikes.

“I just think it’s something that has to happen,” said Director Timothy Mortimore.

His fellow directors Chris Belville, Robert Kristoff and Melissa Humberger cast votes in favor of the 1-mill increase. Directors Timothy Carney and Marcie Werner were absent. Werner has been excused for medical reasons.

The original proposed 2-mill hike — from 89 to 91 mills — would have equaled an additional $25 annually for an average property owner. It would have brought in an additional $93,600 in revenue.

The property tax rate was last raised in the 2022-23 school year, when a 1-mill increase was passed.

School district millage rates in 2024-25 in Westmoreland County ranged from 85.90 mills in municipalities covered by Ligonier Valley to 158.61 in West Leechburg, where students attend Leechburg Area in Armstrong County, according to information compiled by the Westmoreland tax office. Jeannette City’s rate was among the lowest in the county during that school year.