City Council approves defeated school budget

City Council approves defeated school budget
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — The City Council unanimously voted to approve the $86.2 million school budget failed by voters.

On April 21, the residents of Long Branch defeated the school budget by just nine votes.

The budget called for the same tax levy, $31.5 million, as last year's spending plan, which passed by just six votes. That approval marked the first time in five years that Long Branch voters had supported the Long Branch School District budget.

When a school budget fails, it is sent to the governing body, which can either approve the budget as is or make cuts it deems necessary and then approve it.

However, this year's budget was already at the state-mandated minimum tax levy for an Abbott district, so the council was not able to make any cuts.

According to New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) spokeswoman Beth Auerswald, in Abbott districts, there is a minimum tax levy. It can either be the previous year's tax levy or what the local fair share is, whichever is lower.

Auerswald said that the local fair share is calculated using factors such as property value and income.

According to the DOE website, Long Branch's local fair share is calculated at $39.8 million, and last year's tax levy was $31.5 million.

At the May 12 City Council meeting, the council was asked whether they would make cuts if they could this year. Councilman Anthony Giordano responded by saying the council historically makes some cuts when they are able to.

"Every year that it's been defeated, it's come to the council, where we didn't have the restriction we have this year," Giordano said. "We have always made cuts."

The school board did not always welcome those cuts, as Giordano admitted that some have been challenged in the past.

"Some years we've been challenged," he said. "We took it to the county superintendent and up to the state education commissioner. The school board challenged the cuts that we made.

"Other years we've come to an agreement on the cuts."

The Long Branch Board of Education proposed an $86.2 million spending plan this year, which included a tax levy of $31.5 million.

According to Long Branch Superintendent Joseph Ferraina, the district did the best it could for the taxpayers and could not go any lower.

"We made a conscious effort to keep taxes to the minimum," he said.

"We really thought about the economic situation. We made no increase this year, and we are seriously looking to cut costs next year.

"Every budget has a minimum tax levy," Ferraina continued. "Ours is the same as last year."

Ferraina also said that the district is looking toward the future for ways to save the taxpayers' money.

"One way we may save money in the future is by closing the elementary school on the West End," Ferraina has said.

"We have a principal retiring and teachers leaving, so we can shut down the school and save money and no one loses a job.

"We are not just looking at this budget," Ferraina said. "We are looking at ways to cut costs for 2009, 2010, 2011 and all the way up to 2012."

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.


Click here to enlarge



No Flash Detected
Please download the latest version by clicking below:

Get

Advertisement for AllAmericanChevy.com