Voters OK $126.1 million budget

The $89.9 million tax levy was approved 1,718 to 1,457.

By: Marisa Maldonado
   Voters gave thumbs up to the district’s $126.1 million school budget Tuesday, with 54 percent of those casting ballots favoring the spending plan.
   The $89.9 million tax levy was approved 1,718 to 1,457 and will result in an increase in school taxes of 12.5 cent per $100 of assessed valuation, bringing the tax rate to $2.44. At that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $196,000 will pay about $4,782 in school taxes next year, $245 more than the current tax bill.
   Superintendent Gary McCartney said this year’s budget probably appeared "more palatable" to voters, than the current spending plan — which was defeated by just six votes in last year’s school election — because the tax increase is smaller. The budget voters rejected called for an increase in the tax rate of 19 cents. After its defeat, the Township Council cut $400,000 from the spending plan, reducing the tax increase to 18.65 cents.
   Dr. McCartney said district officials reached out this year to groups such as the PTO to promote the budget, a fact that contributed to the budget’s approval, he said. Increased voter turnout this year — 15 percent of the township’s 20,577 registered voters cast ballots as opposed to 11 percent last year — also helped, he said.
   "A lot of people worked awfully hard to make this happen," Dr. McCartney said. "We were out every night of the week talking to groups."
   At Constable School, where students left school at the end of the day Tuesday wearing orange stickers that read "Vote April 18," Kendall Park resident Lori Woods said she supported the budget because of the importance of maintaining the district’s educational standards. The first-grade teacher at Greenbrook School said she doesn’t like increasing taxes but added that school quality has other financial advantages.
   "The excellent schools here keep my property values high," Ms. Woods said.
   Some voters said they understand that a lack of state funding and increased costs for expenses such as natural gas have fueled tax increases. Jeff Schwartz, a resident of the Deans who voted at Indian Fields School, said increasing costs mean that school employees need increases in their salary to maintain their quality of life.
   "(Increased costs) reverberate through the payroll," Mr. Schwartz said.
   Some voters who rejected the budget also said that, while outside factors have contributed to the tax increase, district officials could have better allocated their resources. Kelly Christian, a Kendall Park resident who voted at Constable on Tuesday afternoon, blamed both the township and federal governments for an increase in taxes and said the district did not provide enough details on spending.
   "Our taxes are going to go up, and there’s no reason for that," she said. "They have all this money, and where is it?"
   Ms. Christian said she wanted to see the budget defeated so that the Township Council — which would have had final approval of the budget if defeated by voters — could reduce taxes.
   Russ and Jean Swenson, who voted at the Monmouth Junction Firehouse, said living on fixed incomes makes paying taxes difficult. Mr. Swenson said the district often wastes money by funding unnecessary things.
   "I wouldn’t mind if the money went right into the classroom," Mr. Swenson said.
   But Peter and Jackie Johnsen, who voted at the Community Center, said they would continue to vote for the budget — even though their children are no longer in school — if they had a fixed income.
   "It became a sacrifice for (those on fixed incomes) to pay taxes so our kids could get an education," Ms. Johnsen said. "We’d just like to pass that on."
   Several voters said they voted for this year’s budget because they did not want to see services cut. After voters rejected last year’s budget, the cut made by the Township Council led to the elimination of one day a week of early morning busing.
   Howard and Karen Gordon, Kendall Park residents who voted at the Community Center, said their son relies on early morning busing to attend band practice at Crossroads South Middle School. They voted for the budget in part because they do not want to see that service eliminated, as driving him to school in the morning would be an inconvenience.
   "My son wouldn’t be in band (without that busing)," she said.