Voters reject $64.3M school budget
"The financial climate in this state in not very good." - Thomas Pagano Township of Ocean Superintendent of Schools
BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - The Township Council is expected to review the school district's $64.3 million spending plan that was defeated by voters last week by a margin of 64 votes.

The 2008-09 school budget, which called for residents to raise a tax levy of $50.8 million, was rejected by voters on April 15 with 1,149 taxpayers voting against the plan and 1,085 voting in favor of it.

"In my 11 years here, it has been defeated maybe three or four times," Township of Ocean Superintendent of Schools Thomas Pagano said.

"We are very disappointed [the budget] didn't pass," he said, adding, "It was the lowest tax increase in the last 10 years, maybe in the last 15."

The budget was calling for a 2.5-cent tax rate increase and would have increased last year's $1.05 per $100 of assessed property valuation to $1.075 per $100 of assessed valuation.

With the average township home assessed at $445,000, taxpayers would have seen an annual tax increase of $112 under the spending plan.

Pagano said that the economy could have played a role in the public's lack of support for the budget.

"The financial climate in this state is not very good," Pagano said.

With the budget being defeated, the Township Council will now meet with Board of Education members to discuss the spending plan and decide if any financial cuts will be made.

The Township Council will review the budget in order to determine where spending cuts can be made. The council is not obligated to make any changes to the budget, although if it chooses, the council can lower or even increase the budget.

If the Township Council does modify the budget and the Board of Education believes the changes would prove harmful to the education of township students, the board has the right to appeal the council's decision to the state commissioner of education, who would have the final say on any revisions to the budget.

Pagano said that if the council makes significant cuts, students within the district will be impacted negatively.

"The elimination of programs would directly affect children," Pagano said.

Also on Election Day, newcomer Lesley Dorsett was voted on to the Board of Education after garnering 1,377 votes at the polls.

Incumbents James Wagner and Janet Surmonte were also re-elected to the board, receiving 1,088 and 992 votes, respectively.

Incumbent candidate Arthur Mahoney was defeated at the polls, receiving 839 votes.