State unveils aid increase

   However, school and township officials from Monroe and borough officials from Jamesburg said more state aid aid won’t have a big impact on their spending plans.

By: William Greenwood
   Jamesburg and Monroe are going to get more state aid this year than they did last year.
   However, school and township officials from Monroe and borough officials from Jamesburg said the aid won’t have a big impact on their spending plans. Jamesburg school officials said they don’t know yet how the increase would af fect the district’s budget.
   Monroe Township received an additional $58,797 from the state, a 1.9 percent increase, bringing its total state
aid to $3.24 million for
this year, according to the state Department of Community Affairs. The school district received an additional $126,036, a 3 percent increase, bringing its total state aid to $4.33 million, according to the state Department of Education.
   Jamesburg Borough received an additional $11,927 from the state, a 1.8 percent increase, bringing its total state aid to $679,706 for this year, according to the DCA. The school district received an additional $303,316, an 8.3 percent increase, bringing its total state aid to $3.96 million, according to the DOE.
   Monroe Township Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton said he did not expect the increase in aid to affect the township’s 2007 municipal budget, which is expected to be introduced Monday. He said he creates the township’s budget under the assumption that the state will see an increase in aid, adding that any unexpected increases go toward offsetting the township’s tax burden.
   "We’re not going to spend the ($58,797 increase)," he said. "It’ll just come in as additional revenues."
   Mayor Richard Pucci said he was happy with the increase, but more is needed.
   "Anything’s better than nothing at all," he said. "It’s a start."
   Last year’s budget totaled $35.67 million and raised $18.9 million from taxes. The tax rate was 56 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, a number that Mayor Pucci expects to remain the same this year.
   Under that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $168,100 paid about $941 in municipal taxes.
   Monroe Board of Education President Kathy Kolupanowich also said she was happy to see the state increase its aid to her school district. However, she did not expect the increase to have much of an impact on the district’s budget, which is set to be introduced March 12.
   "I guess after being stagnant for five years, 3 percent sounds wonderful," she said. "We’re going to take anything we can get, but with such a growing population, it’s not going to go far."
   Board member Joe Homoki agreed, saying the increase was a good start to what would hopefully become a trend of increases from the state.
   "(This increase) is certainly a step in the right direction, but it’s a very small step," he said. "We need much bigger steps from the state."
   Last year’s school budget totaled $79.95 million and included a $59.85 million tax levy and $1.995 million to offset increased enrollment in the district. The tax rate was $1.847 per $100 of assessed valuation.
   Under that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the township average paid about $3,104 in school taxes.
   In Jamesburg, Borough Administrator Denise Jawidzik said she did not expect the increase in state aid to make much difference in the borough’s budget. Even with the small increase in aid, she said the municipal taxes still are expected to increase. She said the tax point in the borough was $24,100.
   Ms. Jawidzik also plans to apply for extraordinary state aid, which is not awarded until late July or early August. She said she did not know how much she would ask for yet.
   The borough received $250,000 in extraordinary state aid last year.
   Last year’s borough spending plan totaled $5.173 million. The tax rate was $1.103 per $100 of assessed valuation.
   Under that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the borough average of $123,319 paid $1,360 in municipal taxes.
   Jamesburg Board of Education President Don Peterson said he did not know how the increase in aid would affect his school district. He said the board would discuss the budget and the increase at its meeting Thursday. The budget is expected to be introduced March 29, Business Administrator Tom Reynolds said.
   "We’re looking at all our options," Mr. Peterson said. "We want to use the extra aid in the manner that’s going to most benefit the district."
   He said the increase was a positive step forward for the state.
   "It is a pretty significant increase," he said. "Is it all we need? No. We definitely need a lot more. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend."
   Last year’s budget totaled $10.87 million. The tax rate was $2.72 per $100 of assessed valuation.
   Under that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the borough’s average paid about $3,354 in school taxes.