Board of Ed Rejects Resolution to Eliminate Public Vote on Budgets Under Cap

The Board of Education voted down a resolution at its meeting last week that would eliminate the public from voting on the school budget if it is presented within the statutory cap of a two percent tax levy increase.

Superintendent Jim O’Neill, who presented the resolution to the board, said the rationale behind it comes from other districts where budgets are defeated regularly by the public vote even when all lawful requirements are met and adequate education is provided.

In these cases, he said, both the current year’s budget, which would then be turned over to the municipalities to trim down, and the base for the following year’s budget would be drastically diminished.

Explaining that a number of districts in the state have met with what they consider to be unfair votes, such as one Morris County district that failed two years ago to pass a budget with a zero percent increase, and have passed similar resolutions as a result, O’Neill said many superintendents have been asking other districts, such as Chatham, to follow suit.

“Some people feel [voting on a budget under the cap] is a disservice to the community and the students,” O’Neill said, “and that it shouldn’t have to go to the public unless it exceeds the statutory levels.”

Although O’Neill was quick to admit he wasn’t necessarily trying to advocate for the resolution’s passing and that the budget has been consistently approved for the past 23 years, he asked the board members to imagine what their perspective might be if it had been voted down for 10 of those years.

Member Richard Connors said part of the reason the board has had such a strong track record for 23 straight years is that the board constantly presents a good budget.

“You’re getting the support of the electorate by them saying, ‘Yes, we agree with what you’re doing,’” Connors said. “They have a right to say that. Even if we are within budget, they should be able to come forward and say, ‘No.’”

Member Jonathan Chatinover said he also rejected the notion that staying within the two percent budget increase makes the budget free from public opinion.

“Just because the budget is only going up by two percent doesn’t make it a good budget,” Chatinover said.

Although it was motioned and seconded by board members Lata Kenney and Alan Routh, respectively, the resolution was ultimately rejected by the other six members at the meeting. Board member John Nonnenmacher was not present.

Kenney explained that, if the resolution had passed, all budgets would still have had to go through Morris County Executive Superintendent Kathleen Serafino for approval.