State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe on Friday asked Gov. Tom Corbett to reject the Seneca Valley School District’s “latest scheme” to raise taxes by denying the district’s application for Act 1 waiver exceptions.

Seneca’s school board earlier this week authorized the district’s administrative staff to apply for exceptions to the state, which, if granted, would allow the board to raise property taxes by more than what’s currently allowed under law.

The moved is designed to help the school board close a projected $4.8 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year. Seneca Valley’s index, or rate by which they are allowed to raise taxes this year, is 2 percent, which equates to a 2.11 millage rate increase. If the board wants to raise taxes by more than that index, it must first seek permission from the state to do so.

Metcalfe, R-12th, in a letter to the governor today did his best to ensure that the state denies Seneca Valley’s application for exceptions. The state representative asked Corbett to “strongly encourage your administration to carefully scrutinize” Seneca Valley’s “latest maneuver” to increase taxes without a voter referendum on the matter first.

He also told the governor that all exceptions under state law should be abolished, and suggested instead that any tax increase above the index must first be approved by a voter referendum.