Owner of house assessed at township average of $456,700 would pay $91.53 more, for a total tax bill of $3,078.16
By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
WEST AMWELL — The average taxpayer would see an increase of almost $92 in his property tax bill if voters approve West Amwell Elementary School’s proposed 2009-10 budget of $4,323,799 on April 21.
Board of Education President Cynthia Magill said the board and the administration are keenly aware of the difficulties today’s struggling economy is imposing on families and have tried to make as many cuts in spending as possible.
”We’ve been really nipping and tucking,” she said. “These are difficult, difficult times. We’re doing the best we can.”
The owner of a house assessed at the township average of $456,700 would pay $91.53 more, for a total tax bill of $3,078.16 in support of the elementary school.
The tax rate would be 67.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. This represents an increase of 2 cents over the tax rate for 2008-09 when a house assessed at the same average carried a tax bill of $2,986.63.
The spending plan for 2009-10 meets the state-imposed cap of 4 percent.
The tax levy, which is the amount raised through local taxes, would be $3,528,222. That represents an increase over 2008-09 of $135,701.
Some expenses are “well beyond our control,” Ms. Magill said.
For example, the cost of health insurance is “way up,” and the cost of busing, too, has risen, she said.
The district anticipates a 13 percent increase in the cost of health benefits, bringing the total from $550,952 to $610,535, district Business Administrator Donna Tolley said.
Transportation costs in 2008-09 were $243,637. They will increase to $250,735. The district was not eligible to receive extraordinary aid from the state this year. Last year, it received $10,000.
The district also expects to face an increase in teacher salaries. Teachers are in the final year of a three-year contract. Because negotiations are ongoing, Ms. Magill could not say how much of an increase the district anticipates.
Expenses related to special education will rise almost $60,000 to $463,947.
The district made a significant cut in the area of supplies. They were slashed from $117,496 in 2008-09 to $58,464 in 2009-10.
Another cost-saving measure came from the decision to forego the purchase of more white boards this year. The plan had been to buy white boards for all classrooms over the course of several years, but the plan is on hold now because of the economy.
Another money saver will be the freezing of the superintendent’s and administrators’ salaries at the current rate, although West Amwell will be taking on a higher percentage of the superintendent’s salary next year.
West Amwell and Lambertville Public School share a superintendent. Each school pays half of Todd Fay’s $166,669 salary. Next year, his time and salary will be divided 60-40 with the larger percentage going to West Amwell. One reason for the split is that West Amwell has more students.
The two elementary schools also share the business administrator. Each pays half of Ms. Tolley’s $115,000 salary.
Principal Lynne Meara’s salary will remain at $100,000.

