State Rules Over Voc Tech Budget Change

Ninth District lawmakers are drafting legislation that would fix a bizarre budget glitch that confounded efforts by Ocean County’s freeholders to trim their contribution to the county’s s this year.

The freeholders and the board of education of the vocational school agreed to a in county support to the school system. But when the proposed cut went to the state Department of Education in Trenton, it was rejected – barred by a state law prohibiting such cuts.

The freeholders cut their annual paving fund by $150,000 and restore the money to the vocational schools, but sought the help of lawmakers to make future cuts possible here and across the state when school officials agree.

Sen. Christopher Connors and Assembly members DiAnne Gove and Brian Rumpf  are drafting a bill that will allow the reductions.

“This legislative proposal is appropriate, given the significant fiscal challenges facing the state and counties,’’ Connors said.

 He and Rumpf voted against the school funding reform act signed into law in 2008 by former Gov. Jon Corzine “for a myriad of reasons,’’ according to Connors. He branded the ban on consensual budget cutting “nonsensical.