Friday, March 22, 2013
Final tax impact for regional district's four municipalities still unknown
The $208 million Toms River schools budget for 2013-14, which calls for a 1.9 percent tax levy increase over the previous spending plan, passed a vote Thursday night while facing opposition from two Board of Education members. Ginny Rhine and Alex Pavliv, the two board members who voted against the preliminary budget earlier in March, again cast 'no' votes. They both said that more surplus should have been used, rather than applying a health care cap waiver, and Pavliv said that it was "irresponsible" to approve the plan before mid-April when Superstorm Sandy's impact on ratables is known. Township officials have said that Sandy caused a loss of about 20 percent of Toms River's ratables base. Though he called the budget preparation by …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Board of Education members will vote on the 2013-14 spending plan after hearing public comment
Board of Education members will vote Thursday on approving the $208 million 2013-14 Toms River schools budget. In the spending plan, which will be voted on after a 7:30 p.m. public hearing at High School North, $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 Ginny Rhine and Alex Pavliv were the lone no votes to the preliminary budget earlier in March, citing objections to the use of a $234,000 health benefits cap waiver. Both indicated that they would have preferred to find other funding sources rather than apply a cap waiver. The spending plan is a "maintenance budget," in that it keeps staffing and program levels stable, …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Budget includes a $2.7 million expenditures increase; final tax breakdown still unclear
Two Toms River Board of Education members voted against the district's proposed 2013-14 budget, citing objections to the use of a $234,000 health benefits cap waiver. Ginny Rhine and Alex Pavliv voted no to the budget that will be sent to the county superintendent this week, as both indicated that they would have preferred to find other funding sources rather than apply a cap waiver. "It's a relatively small amount compared to the amount of the budget, so just on principal it doesn't seem worth using the waiver," Rhine said, especially since residents are no longer able to vote on the budget. All other members, except for Thomas Baxter who was absent, voted in favor of the $208 million spending plan, which calls for $141,838,236 to be …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
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 …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Toms River schools will receive an additional $433,000 in aid for 2013-14
Toms River school administrators had hoped for more state aid to help combat a looming ratable base decrease following Superstorm Sandy. The $433,802 aid increase for 2013-14 announced Thursday came as a disappointment. "It certainly was not what we were hoping for," said Business Administrator William Doering during a public budget meeting Thursday, the second of two this 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. "It's not helping matters," he said. The state Department of Education boasted that the 2013-14 aid package is the largest ever released by the state. Nearly $9 billion will go to public schools, an increase of about $97.3 million from …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Expenditures outlined during Wednesday meeting with school officials
It will likely take until mid-April for Toms River school administrators to know the ratables breakdown among the regional district's four municipalities, weeks after the 2013-14 budget is approved. Because of Superstorm Sandy, the county has set a projected date of April 15 for finalizing ratable bases, said district Business Administrator William Doering Wednesday 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 …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Public meetings are scheduled before budget is voted on by school board on March 21
The first in a series of public Toms River schools budget workshops and presentations begins Wednesday evening. Administrators will meet at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at the district's 1144 Hooper Ave. offices to discuss the 2013-14 spending plan, which is expected to include about a 1.9 percent expenditures increase over the current $204 million budget. If needed, a continuation of the meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 28. "[The budget] hasn't been firmly decided yet, but we will have enough detailed information to make it a meaningful session," said Business Administrator William Doering last week. "Given the tight timeline, we almost have to put out the information with a huge asterisk that says 'pending county review and …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
State aid numbers arrive a week before 2013-14 budget due to county superintendent
The timeline for crafting the school district's 2013-14 budget will be tight, but administrators want to give the public opportunities to learn about the spending plan and offer input before adoption. Administrators have said that the budget is expected to include about a 1.9 percent expenditures increase over the $204 million 2012-13 school budget. State aid figures and Superstorm Sandy's impact on taxes remain unknown. "We're still finalizing which information we're going to have and when," said Business Administrator William Doering during the Board of Education's regular meeting Tuesday night. State aid numbers should be known just days after Gov. Chris Christie gives his budget address, according to Doering. "What makes the …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Administrators expect upcoming budget to have a 1.9 percent increase in expenditures
Plans are in motion for Toms River school officials to finalize and publicly present their 2013-14 budget — which is expected to include about a 1.9 percent expenditures increase — but some aspects of the process remain unclear. Still over a month away from adoption, administrators remain unsure how much state aid will flow into their budget and what impact Superstorm Sandy's devastation will have on taxes among the regional district's four municipalities. "What we need to watch out for this year is what will the impact be on equalized valuations if Toms River plummets on a percentage basis," said Business Administrator William Doering during a budget committee meeting this week. Toms River officials have said that the township's ratables …
Stan Buchwald
9:06 am on Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Death! Should be the only thing that keeps an elected official from being at a meeting. And by that I mean ones own. These people ask us for our vote,and tell us they will act on our best interests . Than they betray us by being absent on a very important matter. I have written those 2 names down and will not vote for them in the future. PERIOD! more ›