WLB Boro Council reduces school budget by $45,000
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - The Borough Council trimmed the local school district's spending plan last week, which was rejected by voters at the polls last month.

The council approved a resolution to cut $45,000 from the failed $10.8 million budget, voting 3-2 with one abstention at the May 16 municipal meeting.

The money was pulled from the construction services line item in the budget, according to School Business Administrator Dayton Faunce.

"We are going to put off putting the floor tile in the cafeteria at the Betty McElmon Elementary School," said Faunce in an interview last week.

Under the new $10,757,816 spending plan, borough taxpayers will be expected to raise a total tax levy of $8,485,037, according to Faunce.

The original budget called for residents to raise a tax levy of $8,530,037, Faunce said.

The district's original school budget was defeated at the polls on April 17 by a margin of more than 100 votes.

Borough taxpayers voted down the spending plan for the 2007-2008 school year with 304 residents voting against the budget and 207 voting in its favor.

Once a budget is voted down, the Borough Council reviews the spending plan. The council is not required to make any changes on the budget, though it can, if it chooses, reduce or even increase the amount of money the district plans to spend and raise through taxes.

If the school board believes the changes would too severely affect the district operations, they may appeal the council's decision to the state commissioner of education, who would have the last word on any revisions.

According to the resolution, "The West Long Branch Mayor and Borough Council, in conjunction with the Board of Education, have determined that a reduction of $45,000 can be made without having an effect on the board's ability to provide a thorough and efficient education system for the school."

Faunce said the school board will not challenge the changes adopted by council.

"The school board met with the town council and the finance committee to discuss changes," Faunce said. "We are not going to protest the changes."

The new spending plan calls for a tax rate of 3.25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, according to Faunce, who said borough taxpayers will see an increase from last year's 65.93 cents per $100 of assessed value of property to 69.18 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

For the average borough homeowner, whose home is assessed at $473,200, the budget calls for annual increase in taxes of $153.79, a reduction from the $161 increase proposed under the failed budget.