Voters to the polls Wednesday for school election

By Amber Cox
   Voters go to the polls Wednesday, April 27, to select school board members and decide the fate of district budgets, all under the constraints of the 2 percent stated-mandated spending cap.
Bordentown Regional
School District
   The $33.2 million final 2011-12 budget adopted 7-2 on March 23, calls for a tax hike for the Bordentowns and a decrease for Fieldsboro.
   The board will have three vacancies at the school elections, one seat in Bordentown City, one in Bordentown Township and one in Fieldsboro.
Bordentown City
   Residents will have a tax rate of $1.36 per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $222,994 will pay $3,032.71 in taxes, an increase of $41.
   Running for the one seat in the city are incumbent Michael MacEwan and newcomer Lisa Hartmann.
   Mr. MacEwan, 34, of Second Street, said that although the district is in extremely difficult budget times it must continue to put the children first, “no matter how difficult that task is.”
   ”I know that household budgets are tight, and that no one wants to have their taxes increase, but a defeated budget will negatively impact kids,” he said.
   The city will have voting hours from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Clara Barton Elementary School.
Bordentown Township
   Residents will have a tax rate of $1.37 per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $302,000 will pay $4,137.40 in taxes.
   Running for the one seat in the township are incumbent Thomas Potts and newcomers Mark Turgyan and Howard Barman.
   Mr. Potts, 49, of Shady Lane, said there are so many important things to talk about but one of the main things is the budget.
   ”I don’t see the financial situation getting much better throughout the state anytime soon,” he said. “I think we need to look to some other revenue sources in the district, more shared services between the three municipalities. I think we have one of the nicest athletic facilities in, not just the county, but the state. We need to put more people on them for a fee but get the community out there for no cost.
   ”In these times we have to keep the children first. A big issue to me is keeping our class sizes small to give the kids the best opportunities. It’s been an honor to serve the community and I look forward to continuing in the future.”
   The Township Committee introduced its $10.7 million 2011-12 municipal budget March 31. Residents would see a 5-cent tax rate hike if the proposed budget is approved. The proposed budget has a tax levy of $6.1 million, which includes the approval of a referendum question to exceed the 2 percent state-mandated cap to deal with the township’s $540,822.
   Residents assessed at the average $302,000 would pay a proposed 41 cents per $100 assessed for a total of $1,238.20 in municipal taxes, and increase of $151.
   The current tax rate is 36 cents.
   The township will have polling hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Senior Citizen Center.
Fieldsboro
   Residents will see a decreased tax rate of $1.40 per $100. Residents assessed at the average $281,311 will pay $3,853.96 in taxes, a decrease of $50.
   Incumbent Mona Goff is running uncontested for the one seat on the board.
   Ms. Goff, 42, of River Court, said she would like to see a continued effort on focusing on the children’s quality of education.
   ”Every effort should be made to cut cost and stay within budget, without taking away what is provided for our children,” she said.
   Polling hours will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Fieldsboro Municipal Building.
Chesterfield
Township
School District
   The $9.4 million final 2011-12 budget was adopted unanimously. The budget calls for a tax rate of $1.105. Homeowners living in the average $396,500 will pay $4,381.33 in taxes.
   Incumbent Craig Thier and newcomer C. Samuel Davis are running unopposed for two three-year terms on the school board.
Florence Township
School District
   The $27.9 million final 2011-12 budget was adopted unanimously March 28. The budget calls for a 2-cent tax hike for the district.
   Residents will have a tax rate of $1.356 per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $231,420 will pay $3,138.05 in taxes, an increase of $48.45.
   Incumbents Shawn Dennis, John Groze and David Lease are running unopposed for three three-year terms on the school board. The board will also have a one-year unexpired term seat and newcomer Anne Lipsett filed a petition for that seat.
   Mr. Lease, 38, Baird Drive, said he is an alumnus of Florence Township Memorial High School and is proud “to volunteer as a public servant in the community that my family have lived in for almost 100 years.”
   ”I am very excited to work with the progress of the school district,” he said. “I have worked closely with the current superintendent for the last three years and wish him the best in his new found retirement. I am looking forward to working with our new superintendent and continuing improvements for our student population.
   ”I want to make sure the board continues our open communication with the community and to assure the public that we are here for the best interests of the students while also being responsible to the taxpayers. I will continue to make the community aware of the volunteerism of our students, the quality of education they are receiving and their achievements as they move on to areas of higher education. We are facing a challenging year with administration restructuring, budget restraints and continued population growth within our community, but I am confident that our board and new leadership are prepared to guide our district to an even higher standard of learning.”
   Polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m. in the Pensioner’s Room in the Florence Township Library and in the Council Chambers at the Florence Township Building.
Mansfield
Township
School District
   The $10.3 million final 2011-12 budget was adopted unanimously March 28 and calls for a 1.8-cent tax rate hike for the district. Residents will have a tax rate of 70.7 cents per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $339,100 will pay $2,397.44 in taxes, an increase of $60.70.
   Incumbents Curtis Wyers and Joe Broski are running unopposed for two three-year terms on the school board.
   Mr. Wyers, 37, of Longwood Lane, has served on the board for three years and said he loves being involved and seeing the students continuing to grow in all areas.
   ”I am looking forward to continuing to build the ‘bridge’ with the community and all the staff and administration at the John Hydock and Mansfield Township Elementary school,” he said.
   Mr. Wyers said he will “continue to give input on how we can incorporate new programs, technology and professional development for all teachers and administration. He also plans to “work with administration on setting the bar high for all students and maintaining rigorous academic programs.
   Mr. Broski, 54, of Sherwood Lane, served as the Mansfield Township administrator for five years, overseeing the day to day operational and administrative functions of the municipality, including legal, financial, personnel and engineering. He said he intends to assure the same high standards of education are maintained for all students.
   Voters in Districts 1, 7 and 8 will be at the Northern Burlington County Regional High School; Districts 2 and 3 at the Mansfield Municipal Complex; Districts 4 and 5 and the Homestead Clubhouse; and District 6 at the Four Seasons Clubhouse.
New Hanover
School District
   The school board adopted its $4.8 million final 2011-12 budget with a $1.62 million tax levy.
   Incumbent Charles Roohr and newcomer William Castner are running unopposed for two three -year terms on the school board.
North Hanover
School District
   The school board approved its $23.3 million 2011-12 final budget. Residents will pay 49 cents per $100 assessed. Homeowners living in an average assessed home at $31,400 will pay $1,565 in taxes.
   Incumbents Michael Crawford and Paulinea Johnson and newcomers Megan Giebel and Jeanine Foley are running for two three-year terms on the school board.
   Voting will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
Northern Burlington
Regional
School District
   The school board unanimously approved its $32.9 million 2011-12 final budget.
   The school board will have three vacancies, one seat in North Hanover, one seat in Springfield and one in Mansfield.
   Voting polls for each town are at the individual municipalities.
Chesterfield
   Residents will pay 54 cents per $100 of assessed value. Homeowners living in an average assessed home at $396,500 will pay $2,141 in taxes. The township recently went through a reassessment. No Chesterfield board seat is vacant.
Mansfield
   Residents will pay 62 cents per $100. Homeowners living in an average assessed home at $340,200 will pay $2,109 in taxes, a decrease of $44 from last year.
   Newcomer Debbie Pridell is running for the one three-year term for the township.
North Hanover
   The township, like Chesterfield, also went through a reassessment this year and residents there will pay 60 cents per $100 of assessed value. Homeowners living in an average assessed home at $319,400 will pay $1,916 in taxes.
   Newcomer Edmund Nowak is running for the one three-year term for the township.
Springfield
   Residents will pay 73 cents per $100 assessed. Homeowners living in an average assessed home at $321,400 will pay $2,346 in taxes, an increase of $105.87 from last year.
   Incumbent Paul Tootell is running for the one three-year term for the township.
Springfield
Township
School District
   The $4.7 million final 2011-12 budget, adopted unanimously March 29, calls for a 1-cent tax rate hike for the district.
   Residents will have a tax rate of 70 cents per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $321,429 will pay $2,249.94 in taxes, an increase of $31.
   The school board is also asking voters to say yes to a special ballot question to fund $99,288 for a full-day kindergarten program.
   If the question passes there would be an increase of 2.2 cents for the tax rate, so residents would be paying 73 cents for $100 assessed valuation. Homeowners assessed at the average $321,429 will pay $2,345.12 in taxes.
   Township Mayor Denis McDaniel supports the special ballot question and said there are a number of benefits of education prior to the first grade. He did research and said he found that it helps with “high scores on standardized tests throughout the student’s school career; higher earnings upon and during one’s career; greater acceptance rates into college; greater acceptance at the ‘best’ colleges; and a lower crime rate in teen and adult years.”
   Incumbents Lisa Giovanelli, James Specca and David Reinisch are running unopposed for the three three-year term seats. No petitions were filed for the one one-year unexpired term.
   Mr. Specca, 46, of Jacksonville-Bordentown Road, said he would like to see the “implementation of the full-day kindergarten program, build a solid plan for the future of our own school in our own community and work to develop a facilities plan that will allow us to make the much needed repairs and improvements our school needs, and our children deserve.”
   Mr. Reinisch, 43, of Moran Drive, said he would like to “improve communication with all township residents, explore and increase the alternate sources of revenue for school other than tax levy and improve the physical condition of the facilities.”
   Polling hours will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Springfield Municipal Building.