Preliminary School Budget Vote Slated for Tuesday Night
Board will present budget and vote on the plan before it goes for county approval
Board of Education members will vote on a preliminary budget Tuesday night before submitting it to the county superintendent this week.
In the $208 million 2013-14 Toms River schools budget, $141,838,236 is to be raised by local property taxes, an increase of 1.9 percent over the 2012-13 spending plan, the district has said. Board members will give the budget a vote before sending it to the Ocean County Superintendent by March 7 during the 7:30 p.m. meeting at in the High School North auditorium.
The spending plan is a "maintenance budget," in that it keeps staffing and program levels stable, administrators have said during a series of preliminary budget hearings held last week.
The district will receive an additional $433,802 in state aid for its 2013-14 budget, a figure that came as a disappointment.
"It certainly was not what we were hoping for," Doering said during a public budget meeting last week. The district will receive a total of $67,712,061 in aid, a 0.6 percent increase over the current amount, according to the state.
Because of Superstorm Sandy, the county has set a projected date of April 15 for finalizing ratable bases, Doering said last week during the first of two budget meetings this week. Toms River officials have said that the township's ratables base may have lost 20 percent because of damage caused by Sandy, which may impact the distribution of school taxes among it and Beachwood, Pine Beach and South Toms River.
"Usually when we roll out a budget we have all of the ratable base information for the constituent municipalities and we roll out what the tax impact will be," Doering has said.
When the budget is approved on March 21 during a 7:30 p.m. public hearing at High School North, the Board of Education will not know the tax breakdown.
"We won't be able to present what the final impact is," Doering has said. "That's a huge issue for not just us, but for other towns that have that problem."
Information regarding expenditures and revenues is available in PDF form in this article's media box.
Mike L
8:20 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
So let me understand this, there is going to be a possible increase of 1.9 percent and we are losing a possible 20 percent of income. Sounds to me that there must be layoffs or non paid furlows of non essentials to cover the increases. Right off the bat, close any service that doesn't hold it's own. I can think of one thing right now, Caffe 1144, we lost over $200,000.00 last budget. I know that we all think that they want to go on as usual, but we can't run on a deficit. Maybe in the next few years the monies will be back in toms river and then we can get back to usual, what ever that would be. I actually thought that the NEW BOE would realize that the Township people are having a hard time, maybe they are not! More people are going to be walking away from there properties, because they can't be fixed for what they get from their insurances. Then what! So get ahead of that,and really cut spending now, and if I am wrong we will have more monies for next year and not leaving a bigger debt for those paying in the future.
JD
9:45 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Ridiculous budget...
They didn't cut 1 expense... not a 1. The $208budget is posted on TRRS website.
Clean Slate is no different than Ritacco 9. Rubber stampers. They have majority so no excuses for this year.
Last year TRRS got $132million from property taxes.
This year, they will increase the tax rate and expect to get $135million!!!
Are you kidding me!! Did they drive through Ortley?
Due to the reassessments that will hit in by October, TRRS will be lucky to raise $125million in taxes at the higher tax rate. They will need to cut $5-10million in costs. Come May of next year, they will run out of money and won't be able to cut checks because no cash on hand.
Vote NO in sending it to County...
what are they going to do if you hand it in late... Nothing.
JD
9:49 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The responsible thing to do is... wait until after April 15 to vote on the budget.
That is when you will know about ratable bases.
chtulu2000
11:40 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
JD---do they have a deadline to get this done by?
JD
12:14 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
chtula,
I believe they have to get it to the County Super by March 15...
but there are NO consequences if they are late to my knowledge. They should just ask for an extension. The County Super has NO power to do anything anyway.
ChiefWahoo
9:32 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What a coincidence. Raise 1.9% on a 2% cap. Funny how that seems to happen every year in every level of bloated government.
Now add in the 20-30 loss in rateables and the TR taxpayer is about to get walloped by these status quo statists.
joe jones
7:20 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Lots of Monday Morning Quearterbacking going on here. DId you attend the meeetings, have you asked questions? Probably not, just complaining as usual. JD, still parking away from the meetings so peopople don't knoe who you are. GET A JOB, preferably in accounting so you can see how not just TRBOE works with less but companies around the area ae doing the same thing. Layoffs, furloughs....these are real people with bills to pay and your light just get rid of them. The schools are doing much more with less. The emplyees are contributing to their insurance and teachers are spending THEIR OWN money on supplies, and special treats for their students. People like you are just plain miserable.