26 Ok'd; 25 rejected in
Warren, Hunterdon
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
• By SARAH CASSI • The
Express-Times
Ten out of the 23 school budgets in Warren County
failed in Tuesday's election while 15 of the 28 in Hunterdon County
were defeated.
The 10 budgets defeated in Warren County include
Washington Borough, North Warren and Warren Hills regional school
districts, along with Blairstown, Greenwich, Hardwick, Hope, Mansfield,
Oxford and Pohatcong townships.
Regional school districts in Hunterdon County saw
the biggest defeat in Tuesday's election with Delaware Valley, Hunterdon
Central, North Hunterdon/Voorhees and South Hunterdon regional school
district budgets all failing.
Delaware Valley's budget proposed tax rate increases
for four of its five sending districts, the highest being an 11.8
percent increase. North Hunterdon/Voorhees Regional High School's
budget included a tax increase for seven of its 12 sending districts,
with the highest increase proposed at 45.9 percent.
Last year, voters rejected seven budgets in Warren
County and 16 in Hunterdon.
Warren Hills Regional School District faces its second
consecutive defeat. The budget, which included an increase for every
sending district that pays the regional school tax, failed by 167
votes this year.
"It's upsetting because we thought we proposed a
good budget," said James Mamory, Warren Hills Regional School Board
president, adding the towns will decide where budget cuts need to
be made.
The budget was driven by contractual salary increases,
health benefits and county vocational school tuition. Mamory said
the election results are frustrating because state funding has been
flat for the past five years, but the district continues to grow.
"We're doing the same job for more kids with the
same amount of money," Mamory said.
Phillipsburg's budget, which proposed a 1-cent decrease
in the school tax rate, passed by 82 votes.
"That's excellent. I'm very pleased," Superintendent
Gordon Pethick said. "This indicates that the voters are confident
in the direction the district is moving."
The Abbott district's next step is appealing for
the $8.8 million discretionary aid requested from the state.
"That's the next hurdle we have to hit," Pethick said.