Regional School Board Eliminates Tax Increase

Taxpayers in Washington Township, the Chesters and Mendhams will not receive a tax increase from the West Morris Regional School District for the 2011-12 school year, after the board of education voted to direct $184,290 of its toward the on Monday night.

The board, with just six of its nine members present, voted unanimously to turn the approved 0.48 percent tax levy increase into a 0 percent–or flat–increase, and reserve the remaining $274,304 for future budgets in the form of tax relief and class size reduction.

Before the vote was made, Washington Township representative David Lobron asked if it would be possible to restore courtesy busing or any other program that was lost due to budget cuts. Board of Education President Cristen Forrester said giving the money back to the taxpayers at this time makes most sense, as the funds are not guaranteed for future budgets.

“It’s a great gift, but it doesn’t make up for all the cuts we’ve had,” Forrester said.

“The money is wonderful,” Mendham representative and board finance chair Jackie Schram said. “But it’s sort of like a ‘never mind’–it makes it hard to do long-term planning with the roller coaster of state aid. The residents need to be reminded that they agreed to support the budget as is.”

For Washington Township residents with an average home assessed at $436,787, a total of $32.49 would be added to next year’s tax bill from the regional district under the approved budget. That has now been reduced to 0.

Board members not present for the vote were Mendham Township representative James Button and Washington Township representatives John Meyer and Tom Richar.