Budget calls for 2.4-cent tax increase Employee salaries and benefits make up bulk of increase in school budget BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer WEST LONG BRANCH - The Board of Education is planning to hold a public hearing next week on its $10million spending plan for the 2008-09 school year. The budget calls for a 2.4-cent increase in the tax rate if adopted by borough voters at polls on April 15. Borough taxpayers would see an increase from last year's 69.34-cent per $100 of assessed property value to 71.84 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, if the spending plan is approved by voters. Under the proposed budget, the tax levy would be $8,819,590 next year, according to West Long Branch BusinessAdministrator Dominic Carrea. The public hearing is scheduled to be held on March 20 at the Betty McElmon School's media center at 7 p.m. Employee salaries and benefits, as well as the borough's long-range facilities plan, make up the bulk of the increase in the budget, according to Carrea. Carrea explained that the long-range facilities plan for the school year calls for the replacement of floor tiles in the cafeteria of the Betty McElmon Elementary School, which is an itemthat was removed fromthe 2007-08 school budget after it was defeated by public vote. The district also plans to replace attic insulation and ceiling tiles at the Betty McElmon School and to replace gutters on the north wing of the Frank Antonides School, according to Carrea. Under the proposed budget plan, the average borough homeowner whose home is assessed at $473,200 would see an increase in taxes of $114 annually, according to Carrea. Taxpayers will have the opportunity to vote on the budget on Election DayApril 15. There are three incumbents and two newcomers vying for the three open seats on the nine-member Board of Education. The incumbent candidates include Dr. Edwin Hunter of Lloyd Avenue, Kerry Kennedy of CooperAvenue and GregAikins of South Arlene Drive. Challenging the incumbents are newcomers Paul Christopher of Poplar Avenue and Richard Santangelo of Maryland Avenue.