SOUTH BRUNSWICK – BOE looking for citizen budget help

By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
   The Board of Education wants residents’ help in planning the new school budget.
   At Monday night’s meeting, Martin Abschutz, budget committee chairman, presented his idea for a citizen’s advisory group to help craft the new spending plan.
   ”I suggest that we extend an opportunity for any member of the South Brunswick community who supports public education to participate in a setting that advises the budget committee,” Mr. Abschutz said.
   Mr. Abschutz said they were “looking for a few good people in South Brunswick” to join the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee.
   He said he would like the members of this new committee to make a commitment of time, and meet weekly.
   ”I am looking for true out-of-the-box, thinking,” Mr. Abschutz said.
   Members would hear about details and constraints that confront the district’s budget committee, hear about some potential solutions and offer “positive suggestions” to help cut costs, Mr. Abschutz said.
   ”To be clear, the role of the Community Budget Advisory Committee is to advise the BOE Budget Committee by offering positive ideas, areas of exploration and/or insights about how to overcome major financial constraints,” Mr. Abschutz said. “These positive ideas should have an ongoing cost savings and/or new revenue impact and be implementable within the 2011-2012 budget year.”
   There are to be six members of the newly formed panel, Mr. Abschutz said.
   In his presentation, Mr. Abschutz said the members of this new committee will be picked by the end of January.
   To apply, interested residents should email a 400-500 word e-mail stating how they would benefit the committee to Mr. Abschutz at [email protected].
   ”The e-mail should focus on how the individual can assist us rather than the individual’s community status or position; while we welcome knowing what groups in town they are affiliated with, this will not be a driver of the committee’s decisions,” Mr. Abschutz said.
   Mr. Abschutz said he will accept the application e-mails until Jan. 21 and then pick the final candidates during that weekend.
   Mr. Abschutz said the actual members of the panel will be picked by the budget committee,
   ”I will redact names to allow the Budget Committee, i.e., Harry Delgado, Steve Parker, and me, to select the six requests that indicate the greatest promise for assisting the district in our current dilemma without knowing who submitted what,” Mr. Abschutz said.The board will also continue to have public budget meetings, Mr. Abschutz said.The board passed the resolution establishing this committee unanimously.