Washington Township residents helped to approve the West Morris Regional High School District’s proposed budget on Wednesday, April 27, by voting 1,328-909 in favor of the $47,631,191 spending plan, with a tax rate of $.53 per $100 for the average home in Washington Township, an increase of $.01 from the previous year's $.52 per $100 tax rate. The 2011-12 budget includes an increase to the tax levy of .48 percent—well below the 2 percent cap put into effect with legislation signed into law last year. An average Washington Township home, assessed at $436,787, will see a $32.49 annual increase …
Washington Township residents approved of their K-8 district’s proposed budget on Wednesday, April 27, with unofficial numbers showing a tally of 1,296 to 904 to pass the $39,418,849 spending plan. It comes with a tax rate of $1.1352 per $100 of assessed valuation, a small increase over the previous year's 1.131. It translates to a yearly bill of $1,790 (not counting municipal and county taxes, or the taxes for the West Morris Regional District, which are all set separately). That would be up 1.01 percent from the $1,770 such a home would have paid for 2010-2011. The district received $380,…
Polls opened for school elections at 7 a.m. on Wednesday at three locations in Washington Township, and voters were shuffling in and out before work and school hours began. Residents were asked to vote on budgets and candidates for the Washington Township and West Morris Regional School Districts. Voting locations are at the Long Valley Middle School, Washington Township Public Library, and Flocktown Road School. The Washington Township School District proposed budget for 2011-12 comes in at $39,418,849. It comes with a tax rate of $1.1352 per $100 of assessed valuation, a small increase over…
THE BUDGET The Big Numbers: The school board is proposing a 2011-2012 budget of $39,418,849, with a local tax levy of $30,705,982. The tax rate would be $1.1352 per $100 of assessed valuation, up slightly from 1.131 in 2010-2011. What It Means for Your Tax Bill: If your home is assessed at the municipal average of $436,787, that tax rate translates to a yearly bill of $1,790 (not counting municipal and county taxes, which are set separately). That would be up 1.01 percent from the $1,770 such a home would have paid for 2010-2011. What It Means For School Programs: While no curricular or …
THE BUDGET The Big Numbers: The school board is proposing a 2011-2012 budget of $47,631,191, with a local tax levy of $41,195,174. The tax rate in Washington Township would be $.53 per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of $.09 from the 2010-11 tax rate of $.44 per $100 tax rate. What It Means for Your Tax Bill: If your home is assessed at the municipal average of $436,787, that tax rate of 0.48 percent translates to a yearly bill of $2,317 (not counting municipal and county taxes, which are set separately). That would be up 1.4 percent from the $2,284.51 such a home would have paid for …
Long Valley Patch asked board of education candidates up for election on the April 27 ballot questions regarding ongoing issues in the school districts they serve. Below you'll find the questions and answer provided by candidates. For more information about the election, go here. Long Valley Patch: Simply put, what kind of funding formula (current or otherwise) do you feel would work best for the West Morris Regional High School District, and why? James Button: The West Morris Regional High School District was formed in 1958 by agreement of the participating towns. All parties agreed that …
Long Valley Patch asked board of education candidates up for election on the April 27 ballot three questions regarding ongoing issues in the school districts they serve. Below you'll find the questions and answer provided by candidates. For more information about the election, go here. Long Valley Patch: What services or infrastructure, if any, do you feel could be changed within the Washington Township District to help generate additional revenue for the district, so that future budgets may avoid pushing the 2-percent cap and tax relief can be found for residents? David Chance Healy: As far …
The following is a Letter to the Editor from Long Valley resident Lisa Woodring regarding the upcoming school elections. On Wednesday, April 27, we all have something important to do. We must find a few minutes in our day to get to our polling place and vote to support our schools. You may have heard that our school board representatives are running uncontested in Washington Township, so maybe you're feeling less of a need to cast your vote. In actuality, your vote is very important, so I'm writing to you today as a friend to ask that you please VOTE YES in support of the Washington …
Walt Cullen, 62, has lived in Long Valley for 31 years, and is running uncontested for a three-year seat on the Washington Township School District Board of Education. Cullen was appointed to his current seat on the board in November of 2010. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Cullen’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going through/have gone through the district?Walt Cullen: Unfortunately, I only have one child. Fortunately, she attended our local schools K thru 12. …
On behalf of the Washington Township School District Board of Education, President Michael Rec sent the following letter to Long Valley Patch: To residents of Washington Township, There are three facts that Washington Township voters should remember when they go to the polls on April 27th: The proposed 2011-2012 total budget (1) is almost $212,000 less than last year, (2) includes a very modest four-tenths of one percent (0.41%) tax levy increase, and (3) delivers a high quality and enhanced curriculum for our high performing district. The board of education and administration have together …
Washington Township Schools Board of Education President Michael Rec, 48, will be seeking a one-year term on the board. Rec and his family have lived in Long Valley for the past 16 years. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Rec’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going through / have gone through the school district?Micheal Rec: We have three children. Christopher is a college freshman, Brigitte a high school sophomore, and Abigail is in 7th grade. All have been …
Gary Lakritz, 48, a Chester resident since 2002, is running against Marcia Asdal for the vacant Chester representative seat on the West Morris Regional School Board. The term length is three years. While Washington Township residents do not vote for Lakritz or any representatives from the Mendhams or Chesters, decisions by board members from those towns affect the board as a whole. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Lakritz’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going …
Marcia Asdal, 49, a Chester Township resident of 25 years, is running against Gary Lakritz for the vacant Chester representative seat on the West Morris Regional School Board. The term length is three years. While Washington Township residents do not vote for Asdal or any representatives from the Mendhams or Chesters, decisions by board members from those towns affect the board as a whole. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Asdal’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are …
A 26-year resident of Mendham Township, James “Jamie” Button, 53, is seeking his second consecutive three-year term as a representative of his municipality on the West Morris Regional Board of Education. Button is running uncontested. While Washington Township residents do not vote for Button or any representatives from the Mendhams or Chesters, decisions by board members from those towns affect the board as a whole. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Button’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How…
Seeking his second consecutive three-year term on the Washington Township Board of Education in an uncontested race, David Chance Healy, 38, has lived in Long Valley for nearly 10 years. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Healy’s answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going through/have gone through the district?David Healy: I have 4 children that will ultimately go through the district. Declan is a sixth grader at Long Valley Middle School, Aidan a fourth grader at …
The West Morris Regional Board of Education President Cristen Forrester, 48, of Washington Township, will be running uncontested on the April 27 ballot for school elections. A Long Valley resident for the past decade, Forrester has served on the regional board for four years. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Forrester's answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going through/have gone through the district?Cristen Forrester: I have four children. Three are graduates of the …
There are four uncontested seats open on the Washington Township School District's Board of Education. Michelle Munley, 38, a Long Valley resident for the past 12 years, was appointed to her seat in August of 2010 after Greg Antonelle left the board. She will be on the April 27 ballot, seeking a three-year term. For more information on the election, see Long Valley Patch's information page. The following are Munley's answers to questions asked by Long Valley Patch. Long Valley Patch: How many of your children are going through/have gone through the district? Michelle Munley: My husband, Mark…
