Berkshire Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 Jan. 12 to begin the process of placing a 0.5% earned income tax on the May 5 ballot.
Berkshire Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 Jan. 12 to begin the process of placing a 0.5% earned income tax on the May 5 ballot.
The EIT may be necessary to offset an estimated $1 million or more in lost revenue resulting from recent state legislation that limits property tax growth.
“Nobody knows how it’s going to work,” said district Treasurer Beth McCaffrey. “It’s kind of a guessing game.”
According to the board’s resolution, if voters approve the measure as written, the certified revenue amount will be about $1.85 million annually.
The legislation, which restricts districts from showing financial growth above the state’s inflation rate, goes into effect in March. McCaffrey said the official calculation of Berkshire’s anticipated losses will be available by April.
To meet deadlines for a May ballot issue, McCaffrey said the board must pass a resolution of necessity by Jan. 22. Paperwork to place the income tax on the ballot must be filed by Feb. 4.
“I think you guys need to be proactive with the resolution of necessity,” McCaffrey said, noting the possibility that an initiative to abolish property taxes could appear on the May ballot.
If there is no additional revenue stream beginning in 2027, Berkshire Schools will go into the negative in 2028, she said.
By her preliminary calculations, McCaffrey said a 0.5% EIT would compensate for the anticipated losses from the legislation.
Board President John Manfredi emphasized that passing the resolution does not obligate the board to place the issue on the ballot, but it ensures the process can be completed within a reasonable timeline.
He highlighted several grants and community partnerships, including collaboration with Pat Preston to build the Berkshire Workforce Development Campus in Burton Village and other support from Kokosing and Great Lakes Cheese, that reduce the taxpayer burden for advancing safety and education in the district.
“It’s not like we are sitting, waiting for the state to make decisions on funding,” Manfredi said. “We are aggressively going after grants.”
He credited Vanessa Karwan Povozhaev, the district grant writer hired in 2025, for securing funds that cover some projects and programs.
“Other than (the 2018 bond issue to build a new school), it’s been 30 years since we have gone to the ballot for new money. We look for ways to supplant (state) funding,” Manfredi said, noting the board and administration focus on retaining quality teachers.
By contracting out janitorial, mowing and plowing services, the district avoids paying benefits for those workers, he said.
Superintendent John Stoddard said the board has delivered on promises such as improving state report card scores.
“We are a leader in workforce development. We get called by businesses and other schools about pathways (to employment for students),” he said.
He warned that diminishing state support could push consolidation and county-wide school districts.
“The (state) legislature wants to push consolidation,” he said. “They are going to strangle us … so we end up with a single school district in each county.”
Manfredi called for the vote, stressing that placing the full 0.5% EIT on the May ballot may not be necessary, but the board must approve two resolutions by Feb. 3 in case it is.
Board member Dan Berman voted against the resolution, saying he prefers waiting to put the issue on the November ballot.
Manfredi said McCaffrey would be providing additional information to help the board make a final decision. A special meeting was set for 6 p.m. Jan. 29.
