A slight increase in the 2014-15 property tax rate could be in the cards for residents who live in the Palmerton Area School District.

On a narrow 5-4 vote on Tuesday, the school board instructed district business manager Diane Serfass to construct a budget with a 1-mill increase.Directors Darlene Yeakel, Sherry Haas, Josann Harry, Joshua Smale, and board President Tammy Recker were in favor. Directors Barry Scherer, Susan Debski, Clarence Myers, and Charles Gildner were opposed.If the board were to adopt next year's budget 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.Under the same parameters with a 1-mill increase, 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.Board members reactBefore the vote, each director shared his or her stance on next year's spending plan, which is still preliminary in nature, and subject to change.Recker, who said she was in favor of a 1-mill increase, was the first to explain her viewpoint."The reason why we are sitting here is for our students and their education," Recker said. "We are doing a great job, but we can do more."She was joined by Haas, Harry, and Smale. Scherer and Debski said they favored a 1.44-mill increase, along with referendum exceptions the district may qualify for; Myers, a 0.75-mill increase; and Yeakel, a 0.50-mill increase. Gildner said his preference was for a zero-mill increase.After the vote, Debski left her seat to join the audience, as she explained that although she is a board member, she wanted to address the board as a taxpayer."I would respectfully request that the board take a moment to reflect on the decision to raise taxes 1 mill for the 2014-2015 budget. As Diane mentioned in her business report, the average assessment on a home in Palmerton is $45,000. An increase at 1 mill for that home would be $45 for the year. That would mean that each household would basically be contributing an extra $45 toward a student in the district for the 2014-2015 budget year," Debski said."You may say that is a lot of money, but I tell you I see students who have many pairs of sneakers that are much more expensive then that. We are talking about their education."I, as a taxpayer, am willing to sacrifice an additional expense in order to give our students what they need to succeed," she continued."Don't you think a student would feel empowered to know that we value the education that we would like to give to them? I once again request the board to revisit the motion to raise taxes to the next level."Budgetary requests approvedBy a consensus of the board, positions to be added into the 2014-15 budget include a high-school guidance counselor at a salary of $88,716; two teachers at S.S. Palmer Elementary, each of whom would receive a salary of $77,455; a half-time high school science teacher at a salary of $36,764; the reimplementation of a band adviser at the junior high/senior high complex at a cost of $4,349; and six summer maintenance workers to work four days a week, seven hours per day, at a combined salary of $14,146.Additionally, a total of $137,224 in capital requests were approved that pertained primarily to technology improvements; new wrestling mats; and new warm-ups for track and field.Serfass noted that the average property tax assessment in the district is $44,130.Budget timelineIn February the board approved a proposed $28,698,457 budget, which would result in a 2.8 percent, or 1.44-mill increase in the property tax rate.A public presentation of the budget will be given when the board meets on May 6.Final budget adoption must occur by June 30.Last June, the board adopted the 2013-14 budget with a zero-mill increase, which left the millage rate at 51.44 mills.That meant a person with a home valued at $100,000 and assessed at $50,000 again paid $2,572 in property taxes to the district.