May 5, 2026
Dear Owego Apalachin CSD Resident,
We want to share some important information regarding how our district’s budget will look on paper for the 2026–27 school year.
For several years, the Stagecoach Pipeline (formerly CNYOG) has been our largest taxpayer under a special agreement called a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes). This agreement ended in March.
What Is Changing?
By law, once the PILOT agreement ends, Stagecoach Pipeline will no longer be listed under "Miscellaneous Revenue." Instead, they will move onto the regular property tax rolls just like any other local business or homeowner.
Why This Matters for the Tax Report Card
Because of this shift in how we are required to account for the money, you will notice a significant change on the upcoming Property Tax Report Card that you will receive in the mail and in our Budget Newsletter:
The Appearance: It will look like there is a 17.10% increase in the district’s tax levy.
The Reality: This is strictly an accounting change. The "increase" you see is actually the $3,183,700 payment from Stagecoach Pipeline moving from one category to another.
The important thing to emphasize here is that change is primarily an accounting and tax base adjustment and is not, by itself, a new increase in district spending. The increase shown in the tax levy is fully offset by the taxes Stagecoach Pipeline is now paying through the regular tax roll. The difference will only be seen in how it is reported.
If the PILOT was not coming back onto the tax rolls this year, the district’s tax levy would once again be 0% for the fourth time in the last six years. The district’s average tax levy change over the past 5 years has been 0.80%, and over the past 10 years, 1.14%.
Property taxes and local funding mechanisms are essential for supporting education, public safety, and infrastructure in Tioga County.
View a PDF version of the letter here: https://aptg.co/5lSztP. The full letter includes additional information from the Tioga County Real Property Office. The full letter will also be arriving in your mailbox soon.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools and for taking the time to stay informed about this unique budgeting requirement. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions as we move through this year’s budget process.
#OARiverHawks #sOArTogether #OACommunity