EDISON — The 2013-14 budget is now in the hands of the voters.
The Board of Education presented the $213.8 million budget to the public on March 21 after adopting the preliminary package at a meeting in February. The spending plan would increase taxes by $75 on the average home, assessed at $176,700.
Board President Gene Maeroff noted that the budget remains under the state-mandated 2 percent tax levy cap, raising the levy 1.5 percent from the current school year. The local tax levy for 2012-13 is $186.6 million, while the proposed levy is just under $189.5 million.
“It increases taxes,” Maeroff said of the budget, “but that’s beyond our control.”
Maeroff said $40 of the proposed $75 tax increase is the result of Edison losing tax ratables over the past year.
“People are having their properties reassessed and businesses are moving out,” he said. “People are paying higher taxes just to produce the same amount as previous years.”
The balance of the tax increase is related to the district’s operating expenses. Salaries and wages, which totaled $94.7 million in 2012-13, will increase to nearly $97.2 million in 2013-14.
The budget includes the addition of four library aides, who will serve the James Madison Primary, Lindeneau, James Monroe and Washington elementary schools. The aides were casualties of widespread budget cuts in 2010.
The budget adds one teacher for the giftedand talented program, a fifth-grade teacher at John Marshall Elementary School and a music technology teacher, bringing the total number of teaching positions in the district to 1,128. Total salaries for teachers will be $92.7 million.
The budget will be put to a public vote during the April 16 school election.
— Danielle Tepper