The Upper Perkiomen School Board approved a budget for the 2016-17 school year with a 3.3 percent tax increase.

A motion to approve a 2.5 mill increase, as part of a $57.730 million budget, won approval at the board's monthly workshop meeting on Thursday, June 23.

        Wilfred Pike, III, Dr. John Farris, Joan Smith, Kimberly Baccari and Kerry Drake voted for the motion, which means the district's median property owner in Montgomery County would pay an additional $114.65 in property taxes. Similarly, the median property owner in the Berks County portion of the district would have to come up with $90.27 more.

        Property owners who qualify for the Homestead Deduction will receive a reduction of $186.81 from their tax bill, according to Sandra Kassel, the district's business administrator.

        "That was relatively painless," board President John Gehman said after the vote. "I am not happy, but life will go on."

        The ratification comes on the heels of a public meeting two weeks earlier where the elected officials failed to ratify the budget. During a June 9 public meeting, several board members objected to a 2.9 millage increase included in the proposed budget.

        They cast additional votes on lesser rate increases, none of which passed. A motion to approve a proposal calling for a two millage increase never received a second. The vote on a motion to table the discussion on the budget also failed. Eventually, Gehman ended the discussion and announced that the issue would be placed on the board's final meeting of June.

        At the most recent meeting, the board considered only one motion, which Farris offered following multiple comments by board members on their preferred rate ranges.  Farris, who called himself a die-hard supporter of the original rate, described his motion as a compromise.

        "I choose 2.5 mills with the hope that some other board members would compromise," he said the day after the vote. "I did not want to impose my will on anyone. I certainly would not have wanted four other people to impose their will on me."

        Prior to the vote, several members explained the range of increases they would favor.

        Jonathan Warren said he would prefer to keep the hike three percent, which would have amounted to a 2.25 millage increase. Pike argued that a 2.5 millage hike was necessary to support the programs that benefit the students.

        Baccari said she would be comfortable supporting a 2.25 millage increase. Mike Elliot said he could support an increase between 1.5 and 2.0 mills so the budget can keep pace with inflation.

        Vice President Raeann Hofkin said she would favor an increase between 1.0 and 1.5 mills.  "We don't need the entire 2.9 mills," Hofkin said.

        Gehman expressed a willingness to raise the rate by 2.1 mills.