MIDDLETOWN – Officials in Middletown have introduced an ordinance that would, if adopted, secure $40,000 as a cost-saving measure for the Middletown Township Public School District through policy changes.
During a meeting on March 18, Mayor Tony Perry and members of the Township Committee, Tony Fiore, Kevin Settembrino, Rick Hibell and Patricia Snell voted “yes” to introduce the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, administrative costs, which fund policing at sports and extra-curricular events in Middletown, will be reduced for the Board of Education. The change will not impact the level of security residents are accustomed to, according to Middletown’s website.
In an interview on March 28, Perry said the number of security officers present at sporting and extracurricular events will not diminish. The rate in which security personnel are paid will be adjusted, according to the ordinance.
“What the township saw, and in conversations with the school board, we saw that the school board was spending about $20,000 on administrative costs to have police officers at events. The (money) is going from one hand to the other.
” … (The governing body) saw an opportunity to reduce their tax dollar burden by spending $20,000 on administrative costs. The township was able to work in coordination with the school board and eliminate that cost to the board itself,” he said.
He continued, saying, “The municipality and the school board should also always be looking for ways to remove duplicate services,” Perry said. “That should be a prime responsibility of the two bodies.
“The Committee has held monthly shared services meetings to try and reduce costs by removing redundant services. It’s imperative for both bodies to work together. There are taxpayer dollars that we need to be saving and we need to be good shepherds of that.
“ … In regard to the reduction in school funding, I’ve been vocal with my displeasure of that as well. The state’s actions and their decisions to reduce state aid is putting the members of the school board in a difficult decision. Unfortunately, the things being handed down from Trenton affect not only the school board but the township.
“The school board losing $1.2 million in state aid (over two years) is not how you ever want to start off a budget conversation,” Perry said.
Members of the Township Committee also said they will permit schools in Middletown to use the dance studio at the Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church St., at no cost.
The ordinance is scheduled to have a public hearing during the Township Committee meeting on April 1. Residents may comment on the ordinance at that time. The governing body may adopt the ordinance following the public hearing.