Post by admin on Apr 4, 2007 4:09:32 GMT -5
Surprise! Surprise! Freehold has been denied.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0404/Front_Page/045.html
Freeholders reject request to assist borough schools
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has turned down a request to help bail the Freehold Borough public school district out of a tough financial situation.
On March 29, state Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth and Mercer) said the freeholders had denied her request for the county to provide payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to the Freehold Borough School District to help eliminate cuts in the 2007-08 school budget.
"Assemblyman (Mike) Panter (D-Monmouth and Mercer) and I have written to the freeholders to request much-needed assistance to the Freehold Borough schools," Karcher said. "The county owns a considerable amount of land in Freehold on which they don't pay taxes, and we think it's time they started paying their fair share."
In her letter to Freeholder Director William Barham, Karcher pointed out that the school district is facing severe personnel and programming cuts in 2007-08, despite an increase in the amount of state aid to be received. Without additional aid, the district will be forced to cut school-sponsored sports and extracurricular programs and dismiss 13 employees, including two librarians, an art teacher, a music teacher, two guidance counselors, a media assistant, three clerical assistants, two custodians, and a math supervisor, according to a press release issued by the senator.
Karcher said her request on behalf of Freehold Borough was denied because the county did not have any surplus funds in its budget to give to the school district.
Karcher noted that Freehold Borough loses more than $500,000 each year in property taxes because county-owned land is tax exempt. She also noted that while the county has provided grants to the borough for items in the past, it has never compensated the school district for its loss.
"Freehold Borough is a model of fiscal responsibility, spending less per pupil than any other district in Monmouth County. I only wish the freeholders could show the same responsibility and meet their obligation to the children of Freehold," the senator said.
Monmouth County Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, who is a former councilwoman in Freehold Borough, told the News Transcript on April 2 that she is very sensitive to the situation in the borough's school district.
"It's heartbreaking," she said, adding that "this is an extreme example of the problems with the state's school funding formula. It is something that must be addressed."
But, McMorrow said, with the exception of financial support for Brookdale Community College, which is Monmouth County's community college, and the Monmouth County Vocational School District, the freeholders do not support local school districts.
"I don't see us doing that and setting a precedent in that area," she said. "My heart is really there, but as a freeholder I have to take a measured approach to the issue because I represent all of the people in the county."
McMorrow said she has asked the county's legal representatives to examine the issue of providing payment in lieu of taxes for the property the county has in Freehold Borough.
"Can you do that for one town? We have properties in many municipalities. Can we do that only for the county seat (Freehold Borough)? Is that legal? We are looking into that question," McMorrow said.
Karcher said she and Panter will continue to explore all possibilities to provide additional funding to the Freehold Borough School District, including further efforts to get the county to begin a PILOT program with the school district.
On the same day Karcher announced that the freeholders had rejected her request for financial assistance, a group of representatives from the Freehold Borough School District joined Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth and Mercer) in Trenton to make their case for additional assistance from the state.
In a press release, Beck said she arranged for the Freehold contingent to meet with Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, who is the budget committee chairman, and Assemblyman Joseph Malone, the ranking Republican on the committee, giving them an opportunity to make their case for more funding. The group also met with Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.
"All of the schools in the 12th District have been flat funded for five years," Beck said. "Freehold Borough has consistently done more with less and they have now reached the breaking point. Without a significant increase in state aid, they will have to lay off good teachers, eliminate music programs and after-school sports. The state has ignored this district for far too long and it's patently unfair."
The Freehold Borough Board of Education has proposed a $16.7 million budget for the 2007-08 school year. Board members and district administrators have said a new state law that limits the amount of money that may be raised in local taxes forced them to eliminate positions and programs.
The administrators are seeking additional funding from the state that would allow them to retain the items that have been eliminated from the regular budget. Residents will vote on the budget in the April 17 school election.
Freehold Borough's K-8 school district has an enrollment of about 1,400 pupils in two elementary schools and one intermediate school.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0404/Front_Page/045.html
Freeholders reject request to assist borough schools
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has turned down a request to help bail the Freehold Borough public school district out of a tough financial situation.
On March 29, state Sen. Ellen Karcher (D-Monmouth and Mercer) said the freeholders had denied her request for the county to provide payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to the Freehold Borough School District to help eliminate cuts in the 2007-08 school budget.
"Assemblyman (Mike) Panter (D-Monmouth and Mercer) and I have written to the freeholders to request much-needed assistance to the Freehold Borough schools," Karcher said. "The county owns a considerable amount of land in Freehold on which they don't pay taxes, and we think it's time they started paying their fair share."
In her letter to Freeholder Director William Barham, Karcher pointed out that the school district is facing severe personnel and programming cuts in 2007-08, despite an increase in the amount of state aid to be received. Without additional aid, the district will be forced to cut school-sponsored sports and extracurricular programs and dismiss 13 employees, including two librarians, an art teacher, a music teacher, two guidance counselors, a media assistant, three clerical assistants, two custodians, and a math supervisor, according to a press release issued by the senator.
Karcher said her request on behalf of Freehold Borough was denied because the county did not have any surplus funds in its budget to give to the school district.
Karcher noted that Freehold Borough loses more than $500,000 each year in property taxes because county-owned land is tax exempt. She also noted that while the county has provided grants to the borough for items in the past, it has never compensated the school district for its loss.
"Freehold Borough is a model of fiscal responsibility, spending less per pupil than any other district in Monmouth County. I only wish the freeholders could show the same responsibility and meet their obligation to the children of Freehold," the senator said.
Monmouth County Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, who is a former councilwoman in Freehold Borough, told the News Transcript on April 2 that she is very sensitive to the situation in the borough's school district.
"It's heartbreaking," she said, adding that "this is an extreme example of the problems with the state's school funding formula. It is something that must be addressed."
But, McMorrow said, with the exception of financial support for Brookdale Community College, which is Monmouth County's community college, and the Monmouth County Vocational School District, the freeholders do not support local school districts.
"I don't see us doing that and setting a precedent in that area," she said. "My heart is really there, but as a freeholder I have to take a measured approach to the issue because I represent all of the people in the county."
McMorrow said she has asked the county's legal representatives to examine the issue of providing payment in lieu of taxes for the property the county has in Freehold Borough.
"Can you do that for one town? We have properties in many municipalities. Can we do that only for the county seat (Freehold Borough)? Is that legal? We are looking into that question," McMorrow said.
Karcher said she and Panter will continue to explore all possibilities to provide additional funding to the Freehold Borough School District, including further efforts to get the county to begin a PILOT program with the school district.
On the same day Karcher announced that the freeholders had rejected her request for financial assistance, a group of representatives from the Freehold Borough School District joined Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth and Mercer) in Trenton to make their case for additional assistance from the state.
In a press release, Beck said she arranged for the Freehold contingent to meet with Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, who is the budget committee chairman, and Assemblyman Joseph Malone, the ranking Republican on the committee, giving them an opportunity to make their case for more funding. The group also met with Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.
"All of the schools in the 12th District have been flat funded for five years," Beck said. "Freehold Borough has consistently done more with less and they have now reached the breaking point. Without a significant increase in state aid, they will have to lay off good teachers, eliminate music programs and after-school sports. The state has ignored this district for far too long and it's patently unfair."
The Freehold Borough Board of Education has proposed a $16.7 million budget for the 2007-08 school year. Board members and district administrators have said a new state law that limits the amount of money that may be raised in local taxes forced them to eliminate positions and programs.
The administrators are seeking additional funding from the state that would allow them to retain the items that have been eliminated from the regular budget. Residents will vote on the budget in the April 17 school election.
Freehold Borough's K-8 school district has an enrollment of about 1,400 pupils in two elementary schools and one intermediate school.