Understanding Spending: Last Two BOE Budget Reviews on Tap Today

It’s been a few weeks since the Middletown Township Board of Education conducted a public hearing for and adopted its $144 million 2011-2012 budget. 

It was also that March 23 meeting when, on his proclaimed 38th day as interim superintendent of the one of the largest school districts in the state, Thomas Pagano, announced that especially since he would not be around next year, he feared no retribution from the public for what he deemed a solid, productive budget.

So, Pagano and Administrator/Board Secretary Amy Gallagher committed to taking their budget show on the road.

In addition to the official presentation and subsequent public hearing on March 23, as an extra educational measure, the two are hosting budget information sessions in various spots across the township until the spending plan is put up for a vote at the polls April 27.

If you missed the morning presentation today at Thompson Middle Schook, tomorrow night and the next day, April 12 and 13, the budget presentation will come to Bayshore Middle School at 7 p.m. and Nut Swamp Elementary at 9:30 a.m., respectively. 

Overall, the budget calls for an average taxpayer payment increase of  $6.16 per month, or $74 per year (including debt service) for a property assessed at an average of $435,000 in the township. On the general fund alone, which is the money the public is voting on whether or not it should spend, if the budget meets with voter approval, people will actually spend $5.42 of the $6.16 a month, or $65 a year.

The roughly $144 million budget represents a 1.3 percent hike in (general fund) spending over last year’s $138.7 million, which came with more than 100 cuts in staff. This budget, Pagano and Gallagher boasted, stays well under Gov. Chris Christie’s mandated two percent cap.

Pagano said the budget would allow for expansion of existing programs and the addition of 3.5 new positions and shifting around of others. However, the plan does come with a somewhat controversial proposal to cut 33 paraprofessional positions.