AUBURN - Taxpayers in the Auburn Enlarged City School District will see a modest increase to their school taxes if voters approve the proposed 2009-10 budget next month.

In an unanimous vote, the board of education Tuesday adopted a budget of $66,447,313, which reflects a .84 percent increase from the current year's number of $65,896,428. This budget carries an estimated tax levy increase of 1.3 percent.

While the scenario of the district having to find $3.5 million to pay its bills for the next fiscal year is not coming to fruition as Gov. David Paterson's proposed state aid cut of $1.4 million has been restored, district leaders' primary goal was to put before voters a budget with virtually no new spending.

“That was our goal when we started out,” Business Administrator Marianne O'Connor said. “We've come a long way from the $3.5 million we thought we had to reduce. By getting the $1.4 million deficit reduction assessment back, it has allowed us to create a very good budget and a reasonable tax increase.”

In order to accomplish this, the district will eliminate a bus driver position, security monitor position, computer technician, library aid position, nine teachers with two positions in the elementary schools, five in the middle school and two certified in seventh through 12th grade, mostly through attrition.

Superintendent J.D. Pabis said many of the positions are currently vacant and some are filled with temporary staff. While others are filled with permanent staff, things may change if there are resignations or retirements by the end of the year.

O'Connor credited the federal stimulus plan for keeping the staff reductions to a minimum. When Paterson first unveiled his executive budget in December, she said district leaders were eyeing as many as 50 positions.

Last year, after voters twice defeated the 2008-09 proposed budget, the district had to remove money for equipment purchases to adhere to a state-mandated contingency budget. As the lifespan of several pieces of equipment is rapidly ending, the district is reinstating the equipment budget to pre-contingency budget levels.

Supplies and contractual costs are also being closely monitored, O'Connor said.

Just prior to the board vote, member Michael Stearns commended district leadership for devising this budget, a process that is collaborative and complex. He also noted the changed tenor of this board.

“Last year, during this process, we had so much going on, so much focus on things that were non-budget related,” he said, referring to the near $15.7 million capital project proposed last year.

A communitywide vote was scheduled for June 26, a month after the initial statewide budget vote when the proposed 2008-09 budget was defeated. The board pulled the vote after the defeat and opted not to put it back before taxpayers this academic year.

“I think this year we changed our focus after listening to the community, after understanding what their concerns were, hearing what their concerns were at some of the public forums,” he said. “And I humbly want to ask the community to recognize the changes in the board's focus, the district's focus and help us come together ...”

A public hearing on the budget is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Auburn High School library, 250 Lake Ave., Auburn.

In other news:

* Board of Education Clerk Lori Feeney will be moving on to a new position at a Syracuse hospital after serving the district for 15 years.

* The next board meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Auburn High School library.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net