Beacon school tax levy to stay at approved rate

By Maeleeke J. Lavan
Poughkeepsie Journal

BEACON -- Taxpayers living in Beacon and Town of Fishkill will see increases in their Beacon school district tax rates while Wappinger residents will see a slight decrease.

Tax rates and the tax levy were set and adopted by the Beacon school district last week. The district was able to keep the levy at the same rate residents approved in the May budget vote, officials said.

''Good planning on the part of the administration,'' allowed officials to keep rates from rising, school board President Deborah Sheers said.

A little more than 2 percent of the $17 million tax levy will go toward the purchase of new school buses, assistant superintendent for business Crosby Lamont said.

Tax rates will increase 9 percent in Beacon and about 8 percent in the Fishkill, while rates in Wappinger will drop less than 1 percent.