Mechanicsburg schools seeks to renew 1 percent income tax

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Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District board members will ask voters this fall to renew an income tax levy that provides roughly one-tenth of the district’s general fund budget.

District officials recently voted to place the 1-percent, 10-year income tax renewal on the ballot in November. The levy does not expire until December 31, 2016, said Scott Maruniak, chief financial officer and treasurer for the district. But by placing it on the ballot earlier, it gives voters an extra opportunity to approve the levy, he said.

The levy is important to the district’s finances, Maruniak said, bringing in approximately $1 million a year.

“It would have a significant impact on our budget should we not have this passed,” Maruniak said. “That’s part of the reason why we’re going early, because we want to make sure we have adequate resources for planning for the future.”

The district is asking voters to renew the income tax for 10 years as opposed to five to avoid frequently asking voters to renew the taxes that are on the books, Maruniak said. The district also has to pay to place levies on the ballot, so a 10-year levy would likely be less expensive in the long term, he said.

The 1-percent levy has been on the books for about 10 years, Maruniak said. Overall, the district has a total of a 1.5 percent income tax.

Board members also approved salary increases for a handful of administrators at their most recent meeting. Several administrators received a 1.75 percent salary increase, in line with the raise the district’s teaching staff received in its most recent union contract, Maruniak said.

Administrators who received raises include Superintendent Danielle Prohaska, Paul Hershberger Jr., the district’s high school principal, and Matt Mayberry, who serves as transportation director. Marlo Shipfer, middle school principal, also received the raise after approval by board members.