Response to budget defeat varies Some officials make cuts in school spending plans, others opt to not. Monday, May 08, 206 • BY Lynn Olanoff • The Express-Times Voters in 10 Warren County school districts shot down budgets last month leading to a varied response from municipal officials. Officials involved with four of those spending plans are returning to voters with proposals for cuts. Subcommittees of municipal officials in two other districts have voted to trim budgets. But the full governing bodies still must approve the cuts. Municipal officials in Greenwich, Hardwick and Mansfield townships voted to maintain their respective school district's full budget. Oxford officials will meet Wednesday on their township's failed school budget. Municipal officials have until May 18 a full month after the April 18 school budget election to approve or cut the failed school spending plans. Hope Township The township committee voted April 26 to cut $97,000 from the district's $4.6 million budget. The cut will reduce $30,000 in special education funding for a student district officials don't believe will be attending the school, Mayor Tim McDonough said. Other cuts are in health benefits and custodian hours. District officials agreed to use $10,000 from surplus and increase pre-school tuition to raise $12,000 to cover costs. Hope residents defeated the district's $2.9 million local tax levy 193-108. The cuts will save taxpayers in a home assessed at $250,000 about $175. The new increase on the school's tax rate of $1.85 per $100 of assessed home value will be about 10 cents instead of 17 cents, said Dean Allison, the school business administrator. For a resident living in a home assessed at $250,000, this year's local school tax bill will be about $4,875 instead of $5,050 before the cuts. Mansfield Township The township committee voted April 24 to maintain the district's entire $8.2 million budget. Mansfield residents defeated the district's $4.5 million local tax levy 321-301. The budget raises school taxes 6 percent. A resident in a home assessed at the township average of $236,000 will pay another $100 in taxes -- for a total of $1,759. Oxford Township The township committee will meet Wednesday to discuss whether to cut the district's $5.7 million budget, Mayor Angelo Accetturo said. Oxford residents defeated the district's $2.7 million local tax levy 116-115. "There doesn't look like there's much to cut in that budget," said Accetturo, who declined to say more. The budget requires a 19.5-cent hike in the district's tax rate of $2.37 per $100 of assessed home value. For a resident living in a home assessed at $150,000, taxes would increase $293. Pohatcong Township The township committee voted Tuesday to cut the district's budget, Mayor Stephen Babinsky said. Pohatcong residents defeated the district's $4.5 million local tax levy 132-126. "The school understood the situation we're in," Babinsky said. "They very graciously cut some expenses and knocked down a few tax points." Babinsky said he did not know more specifics and referred calls to Frank Jiorle, the chief school administrator. Jiorle did not return calls seeking comment. Washington Borough A borough council subcommittee decided Wednesday to cut $14,802 from the district's $7.3 million budget, the amount it increased over last year's budget. The full council's vote would make it final. The cut will reduce "little bits and pieces from everywhere," Superintendent Lance Rozsa said. Washington residents defeated the district's $3.3 million local tax levy 206-174. Rozsa said he thought the defeat was "backlash" from the borough's regional school district, Warren Hills. Regional school taxes for resident in a home assessed at the borough average of about $142,000 were proposed to increase $123, while the local school tax increase was only $1.66, Rozsa said. With the cut, the school's tax rate of 94.2 cents per $100 of assessed home value will be maintained at the same rate as last year, Rozsa said. For a resident living in the borough's average assessed home, this year's local school tax bill will be the same as last year's at about $1,338. Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.