After much consternation, Palmerton Area School District has, at least for now, settled on a 1-mill increase for next year's property tax rate.

Not until five separate roll call votes were taken was the school board able to approve, albeit on a slim 5-4 vote, the 2014-15 proposed final budget.Directors who voted in favor of the 1-mill increase were Darlene Yeakel, Sherry Haas, Josann Harry, Joshua Smale and board President Tammy Recker. Opposed were directors Barry Scherer, Susan Debski, Clarence Myers and Charles Gildner.The $28,610,815 spending plan would raise the millage rate from 51.44 mills to 52.44 mills.If the budget is adopted with a 1-mill increase, a person with a home valued at $90,000, which would be assessed at $45,000, would pay $45 more in property taxes to the district next year.Similarly, a person with a home valued at $140,000, and assessed at $70,000, would pay $70 more, while a person with a home valued at $200,000, and assessed at $100,000, would pay $100 more.An initial motion by the board to approve next year's budget with a 1-mill increase failed on a 5-4 vote, with Yeakel, Scherer, Debski, Myers, and Gildner opposed, and Recker, Haas, Harry and Smale in favor.At that, Myers made a motion to approve the budget with a 0.75-mill increase, which failed due to the lack of a second.Debski then proposed the board approve the budget with a 1.99-mill increase the highest millage the district could have increased taxes under the Act 1 index but that was defeated by a 7-2 measure, with only Debski and Scherer in favor.A second motion to raise taxes by 0.75 mills was again pitched by Myers, but rejected 6-3, with Myers, Yeakel and Haas in favor.From there, a motion to approve the budget with a 1.44-mill increase was defeated on a 7-2 vote, with Debski and Scherer in favor.Salaries (38 percent) and employee benefits (23 percent) compose the biggest expenses for the district's budget.In February the board approved a proposed $28.7 million budget, which would result in a 2.8 percent, or 1.44-mill increase in the property tax rate.Final budget adoption is scheduled when the board meets on June 17.Turf field resurfacesAfter the board voted for a 1-mill increase, resident Maynard Silliman commended them for "holding the budget down this year. Times are tough."However, Silliman said he didn't agree with the proposal for a potential $1.5 million turf field that's been discussed for the district."I pay my taxes to teach people, I don't pay them to play sports," Silliman said. "I'd rather see (that money) go to teachers."Recker told Silliman that the board hasn't finalized any decisions with regard to the potential turf field.Silliman told the board they need to look out for the taxpayers in the district, especially the elderly."Think of your seniors," he said. "But, you are keeping it (property taxes) as low as you can."Debski then assured Silliman that the proposed turf field is not on every board member's wish list."Not every board member believes that we should put money into the field," said Debski, who added that she was among the directors who is not in favor of the idea.Last month, the board, on a 6-3 vote, approved a site feasibility study for a potential multipurpose turf field located at the current football field and track site.The study is expected to cost $10,000, and will provide a full proposal for the construction of the new multipurpose field, complete with budget and financial estimates.It was noted by the board that the study will be paid from the district's construction fund, and not the general fund.Earlier last month, Myers recommended that the district set aside $1.5 million and engage Isett about the potential all-weather football field and all-weather track.Myers said at that time the field would be for all sports, not just football.Also at that time, Scherer asked whether the board should have the district's engineer provide an estimate on improving the east end of the junior high school.Several years ago, the district purchased several homes along Fireline Road and tore them down, with the intent to put in a softball field and a soccer practice field.Scherer said there is an engineer drawing that could be given to the engineer to use as an aid to see what had been drawn up and proposed for that site.