2023-24 Tax Warrant

Board sets Tax Warrant after receiving final assessment rates

The Board of Education approved the 2023-24 tax warrant on August 23, 2023, after receiving the final tax equalization rates for Port Jervis, Deepark, Mount Hope, Forestburg and Mamakating. School tax bills will be mailed to property owners September 1, 2023.

The tax warrant reflects the $90.5 million school district budget passed by voters in May. Even though the operating budget has already been approved by taxpayers, the Board must wait to officially adopt the tax warrant until after equalization rates for each of its municipalities are set by the NYS Office of Real Property Tax Services.

Based on the new assessment and equalization rates, the tax rate for homeowners in the City of Port Jervis is $61.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value. In Deerpark, the tax rate is $47.04 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Tax rates differ between the two municipalities because properties in different communities may be assessed at varying levels in relation to the full market value. The state assigns each town an "equalization rate" in an effort to fairly apportion the share of taxes by each town.

Because of the uncertainty that surrounds final assessments and equalization rates, the District emphasizes the tax levy (versus the tax rate) in budget meetings and informational materials. The levy is the figure the District controls. It is the true indicator of how much the District is increasing taxes from year-to-year.

The 2023-24 school district budget approved by voters carries a 0 percent levy-to-levy tax increase.

The tax rates do not reflect the potential savings property owners will receive from the State's STAR (School Tax Relief) program. STAR works by exempting a certain amount of a property owners' assessed value on their school tax bill.