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SOUTH BRUNSWICK: BOE approves tentative $140M budget

By Ed Birch, Special Writer
   The Board of Education unanimously approved a $140.8 million tentative budget for 2014-15.
   If adopted as a final spending plan, property taxpayers will see an increase of 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
   That amounts to about $60 more for the owner of a home assessed at $200,000.
   ”The board used every measure possible to keep costs down for next year,” Board Vice President and Budget Committee Chairman, Daniel Boyle said.
   Officials said that the budget does not include any new programs or capital projects, and that contractual obligations make up the entirety of the increase.
   ”This budget request calls for the increase mainly due to salaries and benefits that we are contractually liable for,” said Board Business Manager Anthony Tonzini. "This budget request does not have any new projects to be funded.”
   Mr. Tonzini pointed out that much of the savings, that lowered a potentially larger increase, came from energy expenses as well as out of district placement costs and charter school student enrollment decreases.
   Mr. Tonzini also said this year’s budget included a 1 percent increase and that this is the first time in several years that the increase rose to the state mandated 2 percent cap.
   He also said that real estate rateables in the township have declined in seven of the past nine years. In addition, state aide has dropped seven percent since the 2009-10-school year.
   Mr. Boyle said the tentative budget had to be approved and sent to the Middlesex County Superintendent for approval.
   Upon approval, it is anticipated that the required public hearing will be scheduled for the evening of April 28.
   The session will be held in the auditorium at Crossroads North Middle School as part of the regularly scheduled meeting that evening.