North Hanover makes deadline by four days
By:David Koch
NORTH HANOVER With only four days before the May 20 deadline, North Hanover became the fourth and final town to reinstate the defeated $24.6 million 2002-2003 budget for the Northern Burlington County Regional School District.
The North Hanover Township Committee unanimously approved the budget at its regular meeting May 16.
The $24.6 million budget was originally defeated by residents of Mansfield and Springfield on April 16. The final budget vote was 801-848.
The district’s other two sending districts, Chesterfield and North Hanover, approved the budget.
The governing bodies of the four towns had until May 20 to come to a final decision on the budget. If a decision on the budget had not been reached by then, a final determination would have been made by the state Department of Education Commissioner William Librera.
"I’m glad and relieved that it was resolved in such an amicable fashion," said Northern Burlington Board of Education President James Foley. "The board worked hard to put together a very thoughtful, cost-effective budget under difficult circumstances. We’re a growing district."
Before the Township Committee could approve the district’s budget May 16, however, it had to rescind an earlier resolution made on May 9.
The committee passed a resolution at its May 9 meeting to increase federal impact aid by $413,000 to last year’s amount of $1.4 million. This year’s district budget had $987,000 in its line item for federal impact aid.
The resolution was passed because it would provide a $413,000 tax reduction to local residents, said township officials.
Because local entities are prohibited from taxing government-owned institutions, Northern Burlington receives impact aid from the federal government to offset the costs of students from McGuire Air Force Base.
School officials said the district had $1.4 million in federal impact aid within the budget, but not all of it was listed in the particular line item.
Northern Burlington Superintendent James Sarruda said the $987,000 in the impact aid line item is the amount of money the district is confident it will receive this year. It will be used to finance teachers and programs.
Dr. Sarruda said the $413,000 is the amount of money the district is not quite sure it will receive in federal impact aid.
While that money was not placed in the particular line item for federal impact aid, it is in this year’s budget for capital improvement projects. The money will be used to buy new technology and equipment instead of paying for teachers and programs.
"I think that they proved their point and convinced the committee they were heading in the right direction," said North Hanover Mayor Kenneth Inman after the meeting. "The fact is that the money is in there and it’s in there in such a way that, if they don’t receive it, programs won’t be cut."
The 2002 budget will raise $8.7 million through local taxes.
The budget will increase school taxes in Chesterfield by 7 cents for a total of 83.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home at the township average of $195,000 will pay $1,626.30 in local school taxes.
Mansfield residents can expect a 5-cent increase in school taxes from the district’s budget bringing the total to 72 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home at the township average of $150,000 will pay $1,080 in school taxes.
Residents in North Hanover will see an increase of 10.8 cents in their school taxes for a total of 69.8 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home at the township average of $160,000 will pay $1,116.80 in school taxes.
A proposed increase of 11.7 cents in school taxes in Springfield will bring the total to 89.1 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home at the township average of $157,000 will pay $1,398.87 in school taxes.