ALBANY – A bill that would forgive the Monticello Central School District $1.9 million due to a clerical error has passed in both houses of the legislature and is on its way to the governor’s desk for his action.
The measure was sponsored by Senator Jennifer Metzger (D, Rosendale) and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, Forestburgh).
Last year the two lawmakers passed the same bill as well as one for the Roscoe School District. Governor Cuomo signed the Roscoe bill but vetoed the Monticello bill.
Monticello received a partial amnesty in 2012, but the remaining $1.9 million penalty is “onerous and excessive,” said Metzger.
She noted Monticello has a high-needs population in a rural setting. It already faces heavy burdens of limited state and tax revenues, lower enrollment, and a diminished tax base, she said.
“Such an arbitrary, disproportionate penalty would have been unfathomable for our students and taxpayers alike, particularly in this financial climate,” said School Board President Lori-Orestano-James.
