Supervisor Kulpa Disingenuous to Amherst School Taxpayers
As the Amherst Republican Chairman I have found Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa to be disingenuous, not candid or sincere, pretending he knows less about something than he really does. At the January 22, 2024 Amherst Town Board meeting, Mr. Kulpa said the illegal migrants will not cost Amherst taxpayers any new funds or taxes.
Mr. Kulpa knows better as Sweet Home School taxpayers for 61 new migrant students will pay in Town of Amherst the Sweet Home School District additional taxes at about $22,000 per year per migrant student which equals about $1,342,000 in annual cost. If New York State government pays one half, Amherst Sweet Home School taxpayers will pay about $671,000 per year in new school taxes. But, Amherst taxpayers pay New York State taxes, too as the total new tax bill is about $1,342,000 for illegal migrants educated in Amherst.
Mr. Kulpa was trying to be disingenuous, saying town taxpayers would have no new taxes when he knew the schools would tax Amherst taxpayers in the Sweet Home Schools about $671,000 per year for illegal new migrants with about 3 teacher aids, new teachers and busing costs.
Please note months ago at an Amherst Town Board meeting that we should be compassionate towards illegal migrants. This is easy to say when Sweet Home district taxpayers are left footing about a $671,000 annual new cost to educate illegal migrants.
Mr. Kulpa further noted that Amherst taxpayers did not have a choice with an implemented federal migrant program. This is also highly untruthful as neighboring counties outside of Erie County prohibited illegal migrants, just miles away from coming into their local communities.
Please note, Mr. Kulpa, that my parents had to wait 2 years for legal entrance into the USA- as the new, illegal migrants now wait 2 minutes to enter America illegally. It is easy, Mr. Kulpa, to be compassionate when Sweet Home Schools taxpayers are footing the approximate $671,000 new annual tax to educate migrants – added to your whopping 11.4% Amherst town tax hike. This is not fair to Amherst homeowners and our senior citizens.
Respectfully submitted by: Brian D. Rusk, Chairman Amherst Republican Committee