FREEHOLD — Borough residents said yes to the Board of Education’s 2002-03 school year budget in the April 16 election.
By a count of 232 in favor to 218 opposed, voters gave the thumbs up to the board’s $12.8 million spending package for the coming school year. The approved budget carries a 7-cent increase in the local school tax rate, from $1.01 to $1.08 per $100 of assessed valuation.
At the same time, voters re-elected incumbent board members Peter De-Fonzo, Ricardo Quinones and James Keelan to three-year terms. DeFonzo received 336 votes, Keelan polled 334 votes and Quinones tallied 318 votes.
School board members serve the community as unpaid volunteers.
Only 9 percent of the borough’s 5,132 registered voters showed up to cast their ballot in the April 16 election.
The increase in the coming year’s budget is 2.75 percent ($344,632) more than the current year’s spending package.
The 7-cent increase in the tax rate to support the K-8 district means that a person with property assessed at $100,000 will pay $1,080 in Freehold Borough school taxes in 2002-03, compared to $1,010 in 2001-02. A person whose property is assessed at $150,000 will pay $1,620 in 2002-03, compared to $1,515 in 2001-02.
According to figures provided by school district Business Administrator Anthony Tonzini, the average assessment for a home in the borough is $113,000, which works out to be a projected tax increase of about $7 per month.
The tax levy for current expenses to support the budget is $5.2 million.
The debt service tax levy for the district this year will be $545,192. This can be attributed to the $6.4 million referendum for health and safety improvements that was approved by voters in September, according to Tonzini, who said $2.5 million of the total referendum cost will be provided through a state grant.
Residents do not vote on the debt service tax levy.
— Clare Marie Celano