BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer
LITTLE SILVER – The borough was one of the few municipalities in the state where taxpayers approved the school budget, with 17.5 percent of registered voters coming out to vote.
Borough Administrator Michael Biehl said last week that 817 votes were cast, although not every voter cast a vote on every issue.
According to Biehl, the school budget was passed for the Little Silver Public School District with 430 votes for approval and 378 votes against the budget.
The $10.3 million budget will increase property taxes by 3.74 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The budget calls for a tax levy of $9.58 million.
“The community is very supportive of the district and of their kids’ education,” said district Business Administrator Susan Irons “They really do a great job.”
Irons said the public budget presentation given at the board’s March 30 meeting, along with information about the budget posted on the district’s Web site and in the borough newsletter, helped to get the votes the district needed.
According to Biehl, in the Board of Education election, incumbents Kevin Brennan and Christian Smith were re-elected with 511 and 477 votes, respectively.
Jeanne Quigley, a challenger in the race, lost with 359 votes.
The reorganization meeting for the board will take place on Thursday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Markham Place School.
Little Silver voters also approved the budget for Red Bank Regional High School, along with voters in neighboring sending district, Shrewsbury.
In Little Silver, 424 votes were cast in favor of RBR’s budget, with 385 voting to defeat it.
Red Bank voters defeated the budget for RBR with 301 votes against and 217 in favor.
The budget passed on the strength of the Little Silver and Shrewsbury votes to approve.
The budget for RBR, a one-school district, called for $15.9 million of its budget to be raised by local taxes. The total budget is $20.4 million.
The impact on taxes will vary through the three towns, with Red Bank taxes increasing by 8.85 cents, Little Silver increasing by 3.3 cents, and Shrewsbury increasing by 2.15 cents per $100 per assessed property value.
Joseph J. Colao Jr., an incumbent who ran unopposed to represent Little Silver on the RBR Board of Education, received 591 votes.
Three seats were open on the board, one representing each sending town. For the Red Bank seat, there were three candidates.
Incumbent Grace T. Costa was re-elected with 162 votes, and challengers Ann Goldman and Ronald Horton received 117 and 150 votes, respectively.
There was no candidate from Shrewsbury in this race and one will be appointed to fill the seat by the board.