WEST MIDDLESEX, PA. School property taxes to increase $70 per year

WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- The average residential taxpayer in the West Middlesex Area School District will have to come up with about $70 more a year for school property taxes, starting next year.
The school board enacted an $11.1 million budget for fiscal 2003-04 Thursday that carries a 3.9-mill property tax increase, raising the total millage to 57. One mill costs the average residential taxpayer about $18.
Thomas Hubert, board president, said the new budget actually shows a 3.3 percent decrease in spending but a tax increase was still necessary to pay the bills.
West Middlesex will see a $240,000 rise in employee health-care costs and $121,000 more in state-mandated employee retirement contributions.
In other matters, Hubert said the board is in negotiations with Superintendent Albert Jones to close out his contract, which expires June 30, 2004.
The board notified Jones that it won't be renewing that agreement and a search committee is being formed to begin looking for a successor next month, Hubert said.
Jones has served as superintendent for 16 years but has been in the system as a teacher and administrator for 33 years.
The negotiations deal with Jones' unused sick leave and vacation time for which he is owed compensation, Hubert added.