| Author |
Message |
    
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3997
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:31 am: | 
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I saw the following article in today's Star Ledger: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1146478986217380.xml &coll=1
and it got me thinking about whether we should vote on the school budget. Forget about whether we can or can't because of the shared school district, but if we COULD, would voting on the school budget be a good thing & a possible way to reign in our out of control taxes?
Discuss.... |
Hank Zona
Supporter
Username: Hankzona
Post Number: 5550
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:40 am: |
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no |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13977
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:49 am: |
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I see too many school budgets voted down in NJ. Keeping taxes low sounds good, and if it were the only important thing, I'd be in favor of it. But consider that people are sure to be in touch with their own budgets but are unlikely to understand the intricacies of the school budget. Whatever is out of sight is likely to be seen as wasteful or extraneous.
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jayjay
Citizen
Username: Jayjayp
Post Number: 628
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:58 am: |
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A resounding, yes. If anyone thinks that the trustees who vote for us on the school budget are any more informed or as concerned as the electorate, should think twice. The electorate is far more able to decide how and to what extent it wants its tax dollars spent. We should seriously undertake to change the current system to follow what most of the state does. If that means merging with Maplewood to do it, no problem there either. |
Politicalmon
Citizen
Username: Politicalmon
Post Number: 129
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 10:01 am: |
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MHD,
From what I understood the increase in taxes for the BOE last year was due primarily to an increase in healthcare costs. Since this is a non negotable item according to the teachers current contract it is automatically passed to the taxpayers of Maplewood & South Orange. This must be eliminated from the new teachers contract for starters if we want a level playing field in controlling taxes. We should first attempt to put a cap of current fiscal problems we as the taxpayer has no control over. At least then we won't get blindsided and could focus on the school budget.
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Politicalmon
Citizen
Username: Politicalmon
Post Number: 130
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 10:08 am: |
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MHD,
From what I understood the increase in taxes for the BOE last year was due primarily to an increase in healthcare costs. Since this is a non negotable item according to the teachers current contract it is automatically passed to the taxpayers of Maplewood & South Orange. This must be eliminated from the new teachers contract for starters if we want a level playing field in controlling taxes. We should first attempt to put a cap of current fiscal problems we as the taxpayer has no control over. At least then we wound not get blindsided and could focus on the school budget.
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jayjay
Citizen
Username: Jayjayp
Post Number: 635
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 5:01 pm: |
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Perhaps by merging the towns we can finally get to vote on the school budget directly, instead of the way its done now. On that note, I happened to be looking at the nj.com forums site, and made note of how we are listed in their site along with other towns in Essex County. The list as it appears is shown below. Apparently, they already think we are one town.
Essex
• Essex County
• Belleville
• Bloomfield
• Caldwell
• Cedar Grove
• East Orange
• Essex Fells
• Fairfield
• Glen Ridge
• Irvington
• Livingston
• Maplewood/S. Orange
• Millburn
• Montclair
• Newark
• North Caldwell
• Nutley
• Orange
• Roseland
• Verona
• West Caldwell
• West Orange
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Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9358
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 5:08 pm: |
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There's already a state imposed spending cap. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14067
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 5:14 pm: |
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Dave makes a very good point. If it was important to let the people vote on the budget, it is less important now, because the new law makes the budget too low in nearly everyone's eyes.
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Spitz
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 1749
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 5:43 pm: |
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Those municipalities which allow residents to vote on the budget don't have a Board of School Estimate which makes additions to the Special Question. |
Spitz
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 1750
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 6:16 pm: |
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And to make things worse, we even have SO members on the BOSE who can't even get the numbers right. Allan Rosen reported at a BOT meeting that the budget approved resulted in an increase of 6%. It actually resulted in an increase of 7.3%. |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1242
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:01 pm: |
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There's a cap, but there are exceptions. A district can apply to the state for SGLA's -- spending growth limitation adjustments. |
Factvsfiction
Citizen
Username: Factvsfiction
Post Number: 283
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:08 pm: |
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shoshannah- These M/SO people don't take kindly to out-of-towners addressing their issues.
BTW- our own educational mess in MSH needs to be cleaned up. |
Spitz
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 1751
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:24 pm: |
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Shosannah - The increase included a 1.76% increase for SGLAs, in addition to the 4.04% increase based on the CPI. The additional 1.5% came from the special question, resulting in a total increase of 7.3%. I'm not quite sure how much more SOM would have approved even without the new limits. And interestingly, Fred Profeta has been at the forefront of accountability in the school budget and usually is the one who wants to hold the line. The News-Record had a story today that Mayor Profeta contributed $50,000 to a new capital campaign for Columbia. I don't think anyone can say Mayor Profeta doesn't care about the schools. But he tries to balance that with the burden on the taxpayers. I can't say that for the SO members of the BOSE who continue to approve everything and then some. |
Spitz
Supporter
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 1752
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:44 pm: |
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Dave and Tom - With all the criticism of S1701, we ended up with a 7.3% increase. Do you honestly think we would have had a larger increase had the new limits not been in effect? I seriously doubt it. |
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