When voters head to the polls on Election Day, they will have more than the chance to choose the candidates they think are best suited to represent them. They will also have the opportunity to vote on whether or not dozens of school districts can have the same opportunity with regards to borrowing money as hundreds of others across the state.
Currently, all school districts in Broome County can borrow up to 10% of the district-wide value of taxable properties; all except the Binghamton City School District. That’s because Binghamton is considered a “small city school district” in New York State - that’s any district that contains at least part of a city with a population of less than 125 thousand. Small city school districts, under the New York State Constitution, are limited to just 5% of the value of their taxable properties. Along with Binghamton, 56 other small city districts are currently in the same position. Ballot Proposal One on November 7th asks voters to decide whether or not this limitation on small city school districts should be removed.
To be clear, voters are not choosing whether or not Binghamton, or any other small school district in New York State, should borrow that 10% value. Nor is it a vote to raise any taxes. Rather, it asks voters to decide whether or not these districts should have the ability to borrow up to that amount. In other words, voters are to decide whether or not the playing field should be leveled for these districts.
Each day, faculty and staff do an amazing job enriching the lives of 4,600 students throughout our district. Unfortunately, the majority of our buildings are aging and require critical upgrades to continue providing an enriching experience for these students. On November 7th, please remember to turn your ballot over and vote. To find your polling place, visit www.broomevotes.com.