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WRIGHT TWP. — Residents of the Crestwood School District will see a tax increase, but not one as big as originally expected.

The $36.7 million 2016-17 budget that was adopted unanimously on Thursday night includes a 2.2 percent increase, down from an expected 4.4 percent. The announced rate on real estate will be 9.8481 mills.

A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed property valuation.

Superintendent Joseph Gorham outlined revenue sources as: $21.1 million in local taxes; $14.3 million in state reimbursement and $405,711 in federal education funds.

Gorham elaborated that persons with property valued at $150,000 will pay $32 in additional taxes; those with property of $200,000 will pay $42.68 more.

Whereas a final proposed budget announced in May contained a projected $1.2 million deficit, Gorham said the deficit was erased through $300,000 in savings in employee attrition, $400,000 in revised health care insurance costs and another $450,000 in other expense reductions.

A key element in eliminating the deficit, Solicitor Jack Dean said, is that board member Randy Swank was instrumental in negotiating a new insurance agreement with OneSource Benefit Solutions of Mountain Top on a health care package. The board voted 8-0 to make OneSource the district’s broker for health insurance, including dental and eye care.

Gorham said the balancing of the budget will mean there will be no program or personnel cuts for the ‘16-17 term.

Board member Bill Jones also estimated that Crestwood will conclude the 2015-16 term with a balance of $6.1 million.

In other business, James Shedlock, Andrew Chang and Joseph Petro were named volunteer football coaches.

By Tom Huntington

For Times Leader

Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 5750-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.