Residents who live in the Northern Lehigh School District will see a 2% increase in next year’s property tax rate.

By a 6-2 measure, the school board at a special meeting on Monday adopted the 2020-2021 final budget in the amount of $33,763,390. Directors Mathias Green and Michelle Heckman were opposed.

As part of the budget, the board adopted a bond resolution presented by bound counsel, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, authorizing a 2020 general obligation bond issue up to $8 million to restructure the district’s 2012 and 2015 bonds to achieve short-term debt service reductions. Bond refinancing will take $2 million out of the 2020-2021 payment, and $2 million out in 2021-2022.

The board agreed to eliminate two positions through attrition: A secondary social studies position and a music position at the secondary level.

Green said he believed the board could have approved next year’s spending plan with a zero percent increase.

“I think it’s something we need to do for our taxpayers,” Green said.

Heckman said she agreed with Green as far as moving forward with a zero percent increase.

“It’s both responsible, and makes sense for the community,” Heckman said.

However, board President Gary Fedorcha expressed concerns with a zero percent increase, as he has heard from other school districts in his role as NL’s representative on the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute that this year is going to be bad, and next year is going to be worse.

Director Robin Distler requested a 2.5% increase, but that motion also failed on a 6-2 vote.

Director Gale Husack said that while she would like to go with a zero percent increase, she was concerned that would set the district back next year, and that if the board isn’t thinking ahead, it could be hurting the community down the road.

A motion was then made for the 2% increase, which was then approved.

Afterward, Fedorcha told the board he realized the spending plan resulted in quite a challenge.

“I know this was a really difficult task,” Fedorcha said.

With the 2% increase, Lehigh County’s millage rate will be 23.0944, while Northampton County’s millage rate will be 65.4917.

Lehigh County’s median assessed value on a $149,000 tax bill will be $3,441 or an $86.50 increase. Northampton County’s assessed value on a $45,850 tax bill will be $3,003, or a $24 decrease.