Says one week’s time was not enough to make
a prudent decision
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
BRICK — The Township Council ignored the state deadline for resolving defeated school budgets last week, citing a need for more time to examine the package.
Although an item was placed on the May 13 meeting agenda, the council decided not to vote on it. Council members said a week’s time was not enough to comb over a budget that was roughly twice the size of its own.
Brick school district administrators, along with the Board of Education, first presented the package to the council May 6. The council’s last regular meeting before the state’s May 19 deadline was May 13.
The district’s proposed $112.5 million school budget was rejected by voters April 15 by a 2,746 to 2,472 tally. If approved, Brick residents would have faced an increase of 9.58 cents per $100 assessed value. This figure includes increases of 7.249 cents to support the general fund and 2.331 in debt service.
Council President Kimberley Casten said the group is "heeding the call of the voters," and will definitely make some level of cuts from the tax rate.
The council was expected to adopt their final budget recommendations last night. The school board scheduled a joint special meeting at the municipal building to vote on the council’s resolution.
The council set a 2-cent reduction goal last week, which would amount to roughly $1 million in cuts. A final recommendation, which can be adopted or appealed by the school board, was expected to pass at last night’s council meeting.
Council members said they wanted to avoid rushing into any decisions that would harm Brick’s quality of education.
Brick Business Administrator Scott MacFadden, Chief Financial Officer Scott Pezarras, the council and school officials held talks several times last week about the defeated budget. Councilman Gregory Kavanagh said the school budget is prepared in a different format than the municipality’s, and school officials only gave the council a key to decode it on May 12.
"We all come from all walks of life. I’m an electrician. I don’t deal with budgets on a daily basis," Kavanagh said about the need for added time.
The council originally applied to Ocean County Superintendent of Schools Bruce Greenfield for an extension of the May 19 deadline. That request was denied last week.
MacFadden said he does not expect a penalty for turning the budget in late. With over 600 school districts in the state, he said, Brick’s tardiness could go unnoticed.