Committee, school board seeking ways to share costs in Washington Township.
By: Mark Moffa
WASHINGTON In response to concerns about rising tax rates, the school board and the Township Committee announced the formation of a new subcommittee during a joint meeting last week at Pond Road Middle School.
"Together we’re going to be seeking additional sources for funding," said Michele Siekerka, president of the Board of Education. "It’s very important that we try to work together to minimize the amount of tax dollars that we need."
The new group will meet monthly, Ms. Siekerka said. The group will lobby the Legislature on issues of importance to the township and examine ways the school district and municipality could share services in order to reduce costs.
"We’re going to be co-employers, too," Ms. Siekerka added. The Township Committee and school board together will hire an economic development officer to serve as an adviser and to recruit businesses to Washington Township. The new subcommittee will decide the salary for the position and person’s exact duties.
Commercial properties are attractive to municipal governments because they reduce the residential tax burden.
"If this person can just bring in one 1 million-square-foot building it will pay for (the new position) for 10 years," Mayor Dave Fried said.
The mayor presented economic development information to a crowd of about 50 people at the Nov. 13 meeting.
Since 1996, he said, 2.66 million square feet of commercial property was developed in Washington, creating an additional $2.76 million in tax revenue.
The mayor said that 2001 was the first year in the township’s history in which the commercial tax base grew more than the residential tax base. More than $46 million of commercial property was created this year, as opposed to approximately $3.7 million of residential property.
Municipal governments often view residential property as a liability in that it can create more expenses than revenues, particularly if children are being added to the school system.
Mayor Fried expressed concerns about Washington’s future tax rate.
"As the tax rate rises it makes it harder and harder for us to find (businesses) who are willing to come into town," he said.
None of the Township Committee members went as far as to publicly oppose the school district’s high school proposal.
The township’s school district will ask voters Dec. 11 to approve a $9.8 million addition to Pond Road Middle School, a $50 million high school, and a $4.4 million pool for the high school.
Washington’s proposed 215,940-square-foot high school would be adjacent to the Pond Road Middle School, behind Ostrich Nursery, fronting on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road.
Currently, Washington’s high school students attend Lawrence High School under a sending-receiving relationship that will expire in 2005. Enrollment projections show 2,002 students at LHS by 2011, with nearly half those students expected from Washington.
Some residents, including Walt Ulinski, have said the committee should take a stand on the issue.
"They should be more aggressive in manipulating a solution that’s more fair," Mr. Ulinski said at last week’s meeting.
He also was critical of the school board’s projected tax impact numbers, which show that the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $177,000 will pay only $66 more for a high school in Washington as opposed to the increase taxpayers would see if Washington continued to send high school students to Lawrence.
Mr. Ulinski said Mercer County’s reassessment of the township’s property which is due in 18 months will increase assessed values in Washington.
"The way this town is going, the port-a-john in the soccer field is probably coming up to ($177,000) soon," he said, implying most properties in Washington are worth more than the figure.
"You just can’t have something simply because you want it," Mr. Ulinski added, addressing the school board about its high school plans.
Residents also asked about assumptions Business Administrator Chris Mullins made in his calculations of the tax impact.
Mr. Mullins said he assumed the township would continue to see its tax base increase $40 million per year for the next five years and $20 million per year for each of the following five years.
When residents noted that the township is not guaranteed to see significant business growth, Mr. Mullins said his projections were based primarily on residential growth.
Resident Sonja Walter spoke in support of the school board’s plans.
"We are not the enemy. Our children are here. They deserve to get an education," she said.
Washington will have control over all activities in its own high school, she added, while currently the district has just one representative on the Lawrence school board.
Washington’s school board began last week’s meeting with a presentation designed to show the school district is spending money wisely.
Mr. Mullins said his data shows Washington could operate a high school for less than Washington is currently paying to send students to Lawrence.
He also said that among the 92 kindergarten-through-eighth-grade districts in the state, Washington is the eighth most cost-efficient, spending $6,539 per student. The state average for those districts is $7,875, he said, with the median at more than $8,000 per student.
"This building is fiscally responsible," Ms. Siekerka said of the high school. "We are doing everything we can to control the costs of this project."
Ms. Siekerka said polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 11, to accommodate people who need to vote before or after work.
Residents in districts one and two will vote at the middle school; residents in the rest of the districts will vote at the firehouse on Route 130. Sample ballots will be mailed prior to voting day.