Politics & Government

Oceanport Mayor Cautions Against No-Vote School Budget

Mahon fears budgets could increase unchecked when cap expires. Board likely to pass move at their meeting tonight.

Oceanport Mayor Michael Mahon believes there may be consequences to moving school board elections from April to November in response to a recently passed state law, as the move would also eliminate the public's ability to vote on the school budget if it increases less than 2 percent.

Mahon took issue with the no-vote budget part of the deal during a workshop session preceding the regular council meeting at last week.

"It eliminates the voter's right to vote on the budget," said Mahon. "There's a greater opportunity for impact with voters in a general election, but that key ingredient of voting on the budget is lost."

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The mayor said his main concern is what will happen when the current 2 percent cap expires. He said the cap is slated to change in 2 years, while the decision to move the school board and budget votes would be in effect for 4 years.

"When that comes forth, they now have budgets that have built into them that they can rise an additional 2 percent, and over the course of those additional 2 years, before we have the opportunity to change it, would compound it a total of 4 percent or whatever it is without voter approval," Mahon said.

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Mahon said he had recently spoken with Oceanport representatives serving on the Shore Regional High School Board of Education, who told him there would be no obligation to consider returning any savings generated by shared services back to the taxpayer without the budget vote.

"If we're building in a 2 percent growth, what we're doing is agreeing to a 2 percent growth in that budget automatically," said Mahon. "What compels that board to not recycle those savings effected by shared services into other projects that now won't get the same exposure, because we're under cap?"

Shore Regional moved their elections last week, and Mahon said he is concerned because Oceanport's share of students attending the high school is increasing while the overall student population there is declining, meaning the town will have to kick in for a larger portion of the school's budget.

"The movement will be upward for us. Even though they fight to save money, the formula will draw that additional burden on us, based on that criteria alone," said Mahon

Oceanport Superintendent Andrew Orefice, who said his board is leaning toward moving their elections and will likely pass a resolution at their regular meeting at tonight at 7 p.m., feels the move would be a good thing as he says it will save the district the costs of running a special election and bring more voters out.

"If anyone infers they will lose their voice because of this, it's simply not true," said Orefice. "We have two meetings a month where the public is invited to comment. If people feel the board members are not responding, they can vote those board members out."

Under the new legislation signed by Gov. Christie last month, either the governing body or board of education can adopt a resolution to change the school elections. Borough Clerk Kim Jungfer said the county board of elections is requesting a decision from all municipalities by Feb. 17. Jungfer reported 51 of 53 municipalities in Monmouth County said at a recent county superintendents meeting that they are leaning toward moving their elections.

"They're looking for a quick reaction because it has to do with printing ballots and whether or not there will be elections in April, and when people will file, but that discussion needs to be exposed, because there are plusses and minusses on both sides, and once they're weighed, I think we would be split perhaps," said Mahon.

Borough Attorney John O. Bennett, III also spoke out, expressing his belief that the move would fundamentally change the type of board candidates who are elected when more people are voting.

"The boards, in my opinion, have no idea what they're doing," Bennett said. "It'll put politics into the school boards, it's going to make them much more partisan."

Mahon said he consciously chose not to ask council to adopt a resolution, and would leave the matter up to the school board.

"They're closest to the problem and they'll be accountable for it," said Mahon.

The borough council and board of education will have a joint meeting at on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.


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