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Mine Hill’s school budget rejected
(by David Jimenez - April 23, 2008)
By a margin of 13 votes, Mine Hill voters rejected a proposed $8.3 million school budget plan at last week’s Morris County school board elections.
Had the 2008-2009 budget been approved, it would have increased the school tax portion of the town’s tax bill by $55, resulting in residents paying $3,805 in taxes on homes assessed at $338,600.
Of the 297 votes, 155 voted no while 142 were in favor.
“A total of 8 absentee votes were received: seven voted against the budget, 1 was in favor,” said Laura Roberts, Morris County election supervisor. The Morris County Clerk’s office has 10 days to certify the election results, until then the votes tabulated are considered unofficial.
The school budget will now be forwarded to Mine Hill’s Municipal Council who has the authority to review and impose changes. In a similar situation two years ago, township voters rejected a proposed school budget, resulting in a $112,000 budget-cut, forced on by the town council.
“Costs have risen dramatically and voters are saying it’s got to end,” said Marc Sovelove Mine Hill’s council president. “Though I think that the school board has done a lot to alleviate expenses with shared services and other efforts, voters want a lower budget; a lesson that is not lost on the town council as we prepare to present our own budget plan next month.”
In prepared remarks, Paul Breda, Mine Hill’s school board president, said, “I am not surprised that the school budget was rejected, only that the vote was so close. Last year voters approved a school budget that offered no increases in the general tax levy; this year our budget asks for $50,000 less. The only plausible explanation is an overall alarm about a municipal tax increase, a budget that voters do not vote on and is projected to raise taxes $600.”
What will happen now is that the town council will form a committee to review budget options with members of the school board. The school district has 20 days, from the date the school board election results are certified, to submit a revised budget to the state.
Elsewhere, the school board budgets for Denville and Rockaway Borough were approved last week, according to figures submitted to the Morris County clerk’s office. Denville voters in favor of the $24.3 million tax levy totaled 1,244, while 1,003 voted against it.
In Rockaway Borough 320 voters supported the school tax levy of $6.4 million, while 272 were against.
School Board officials
In other election news, Denville school board incumbents Seth Yen Johnson, Marianna Lindsay and John Paragian won another three-year term on the school board: Johnson received 1,372 votes, Lindsay 1,395 votes and Paragian 1,360 votes.
In Rockaway Borough, Paul A. Oster and school board incumbent Eileen Haynes won a three-year seat on the borough’s school board: Oster won 334 votes and Haynes 393 votes.
Mine Hill’s incumbent Mary Jo Walilko, who received 180 votes, won another three years on the township’s school board; while Patricia Hernandez and Kenneth Knudson will join the board for the first time: Hernandez earned 184 votes, Knudson received 181 votes.
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