FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – For the first time since April 2003, voters in Freehold Township have rejected a proposed school budget tax levy. The tax levy makes up the majority of the revenues that support the operation of most school districts in New Jersey.
The Freehold Township K-8 School District’s proposed tax levy of $53.9 million to support a total budget of $67.9 million for the 2008-09 school year was rejected in the April 15 election.
According to information provided by the Board of Education, the tax levy was rejected by a count of 1,060 no votes to 1,018 yes votes.
The proposed 2008-09 budget will now be forwarded to the Township Committee for review. The committee may recommend cuts to the tax levy or leave it as the board proposed it.
In April 2003, the last time the committee was called on to review a school budget, the municipal officials recommended that no cuts be made to the $38.6 million tax levy that supported the 2003- 04 school year budget.
The 2008-09 budget as proposed by the board would have increased the K-8 school tax rate will increase from $1.79 to $1.82 per $100 of assessed valuation.
The increase in the tax rate means the owner of a home that is assessed at $200,000 would have paid about $3,640 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $3,580 in 2007- 08.
The owner of a home that is assessed at $400,000 would have paid about $7,280 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $7,160 in 2007-08. The owner of a home that is assessed at $600,000 would have paid about $10,920 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $10,740 in 2007-08.
Those figures may or may not change depending on the recommendations that are made by the members of the Township Committee after their review of the budget.
School district BusinessAdministrator Brian Boyle said on April 16 that he was preparing documents that would be forwarded to the township for review.
K-8 school taxes are one part of a property owner’s overall property tax bill. In addition to K-8 school taxes, the property tax bill includes municipal taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes,Monmouth County taxes and other assessments.
In recent years, Freehold Township voters have had a history of approving the tax levy requested by the board to support the annual school budget.
Following the defeat of the 2003-04 tax levy inApril 2003, voters approved the tax levy for four straight years.
Voters approved a $41.3 million tax levy for 2004-05 by a count of 1,719 yes votes to 1,037 no votes.
Voters approved a $46.4 million tax levy for 2005-06 by a count of 1,294 yes votes to 992 no votes.
Voters approved a $49 million tax levy for 2006-07 by a count of 1,478 yes votes to 1,421 no votes.
Voters approved a $52.2 million tax levy for 2007-08 by a count of 1,406 yes votes to 1,105 no votes.
While voters rejected the proposed tax levy for 2008-09 in the April 15 school election, they did return three incumbents to the school board. Grace McMillan (1,276 votes), Mike Williams (1,103 votes) and Robert Hoppes (1,006 votes) were successful in their bids to win new three-year terms. Jason Levy (731 votes) fell short in his bid to win a seat on the board.

