WEST SUNBURY — Moniteau School Board members clashed at Monday's meeting on the budget proposal for next year, which contains a deficit and a tax increase.

The board voted 6-2 to advertise a proposed budget that contains a 3.01 mill property tax increase and a deficit of more than $300,000, according to John D'Amore, the district's business manager.

The proposed increase would raise $203,121, according to budget documents provided by the district. The rate hike would increase the tax bill of an average property owner in the district from $1,282.45 to $1,324.97.

Board members Mike Panza and Cecil Blauser voted against the proposal.

“It passed with the thought that (the deficit) will decrease a little bit,” D'Amore said.

Moniteau is expected to spend $22,270,472 for the 2018-19 school year, which includes a $305,564 deficit, according to the proposed budget.

“We're working on reducing this,” D'Amore said. “We've got some things in the works that's going to bring that down.”

The school will use $232,472 from its fund balance for non-annually recurring expenditures and use $144,874 for retiree health insurance for eight retirees.

The proposed budget also sets aside $300,000 to maintain a budgetary reserve for unanticipated expenses.

In the wake of school shootings, one late addition to the budget was the cost of armed security guards. The district hasn't yet determined how much the guards will cost but has set aside a little more than $105,000 for the security additions, D'Amore said.

“There's not cost for that security this year,” he said. “Next year we're going to have a new cost theoretically every year.”

D'Amore's calculations show that amount paid for by 1.57 mills of the district's proposed 3.01 mill tax increase.