Iam writing in response to the article “Marlboro Board May Ask for Do- Over on Ballot Law” (News Transcript, Jan. 16). The standard Board of Education budget should be able to cover most everything from employee salaries and benefits, supplies, standard maintenance, transportation costs, and utilities (and this is only a partial list).
Anything that would require money above and beyond the norm should be the only things asked for in any additional budget question.
As far as the 60 percent rule on these additional questions is concerned, I do not have any issue on this at all. That’s 60 percent of those that participate in the election – not 60 percent of all registered voters.
It’s bad enough that participation by the voters in these elections is pathetic as it is, considering that this is about our own money, but 60 percent approval by those that do participate undoubtedly shows agreement on any additional question.
This is especially important to me this year as Marlboro is already scheduled for a mandatory property reassessment guaranteed to raise our taxes in spite of the faltering housing market.
Any increase in property values will already put extra money into the coffers of the board by default. And with previous announcements made by the board that student attendance levels are expected to remain flat, I have to wonder what the board has up its sleeves by wanting this change back to a “simple majority.”
Barry Hochberg
Marlboro