As earlier reported, the Board Of Education will be holding their budget hearing this evening. The budget that was discussed publicly on March 3rd had an actual reduction of about 1%. This evening, the board is expected make additional cuts with a reduction for a total of about 3.5% or $160.00 on average per house, with the average home assessed at $400,000.
This would the first time in history that Lakewood has seen a reduction at all, should it pass.
Last year, the budget was kept at a 0% increase. The overall budget is about $100 million dollars, with about $30 million coming from State aid. The busing costs the district approximately $20 million and special ed also costs about $20 million, accounting for about 40% of the local School Budget.
In a statment last week to TLS, candidates Shuie Schmuckler and Larry Avrin said, “It appears the upcoming budget cuts have all been made in non-essential areas and will not affect the core services of the District”. TLS.
were does the approx.30million go thats left over.?
Thank you! Now if only the township committee would do the same…..
wow! $160! that’s really a lot of money. How about $2000? My taxes went up about $200 in only ONE year!
I meant $2000 in one year. What’s $160 savings good for?
you know good and well the reason it went up last year by 2k is because of the reval! give these guys the credit they deserve, this is the first time in over 30 years that the BOE budget went down.
You cut the fire budget by about 10%. How about cutting the school budget about the same?
Average home in Lakewood is assessed at 265,000 so by using the number 400,000 as the average assessment and saying you are saving an average of 160, you are being misleading.
I appreciate what the BOE is doing and thank them from the bottom of my heart, but the accurate number is approximately $105 per home.
Either way, keep up the good work.
The tax office says the average home is assessed at 400k
the avergae frum home is 400k, you need to take off all the villages where i dont think they are reading the scoop.
160$ savings is in addition to not going UP as it has been consistently for years. WHile i am not certain about all the cuts having been done in the right place, this was an real accomplishmen and shows that they mean business. People shouldnt thumbtheir noses at the ‘small savings’. Imagine the other 300$ that would have been on tpop of that. And then think about how that would have been increased as part of teh base in crease in 2012, 2013…. get the pictre
I’m glad that the BOE Candidates are on the scene…
Why would it matter what they think? It’s as if they are taking credit for something they had nothing to do with.
Remember at the ballot who didn’t vote to save you money, who claims to represent someone other than you.
if you follow lakewood politics, the current candidates are working together with last years candidates.
Clearly av. is on the states web site $266K
Is $160 dollars worth al;l the cuts they made to tiny tots and transportation? Dont think so
Please cut the rate for each resident by 1600.00 now!!
keep the change
We clearly need these new generation askonim to start running for township comity, they can really make a difference to our sick tax burden.
The cut to TT was less than a million dollars. The total cuts were more than 12 million! Is it worth a little sacrifice to save 12 times the amount?? The entitlement mentality is amazing!
Cuts to busing??????
160 dollar savings vs. drastic cuts in services for needy children. Wake up and smell the coffee. You guys are in dreamland. How i wish i could continue paying the 160 dollars a year and all those hearing impaired, PDD, Delayed speech, slow motor skill and many other special needs children could still have a chance to succeed in life by getting what they need during their most crucial years of child development. This is a time to rethink our policies, not to applaud the actions of the current BOE members.
$160.00 (for $400k house)from the BOE 1/2 penny from the fire budget, we are all just rolling in the money. Now it’s your turn Mayor, what is the town going to give us.
It is very admirable trytry to cut taxes, and help all of the suffering homeowners. It is quite another thing to cause pain and suffering to the most vulnerable, and innocent among us. We have a responsibility as a civil society to help those that cannot help themselves. I will not say that saving 160 dollars is small change. For some people it is quite a bit of money. But when those that are making cuts in our budgets choose those that are powerless and helpless to make the first sacrifice, we should be wary of what their true intentions are. If the main reason for your public service is to help the public, why hurt the citizens that are suffering the most first?
We need to see the committee make some hard choices and save us money. Cut everything except police.
I agree that special ed children need the services… BUT so do SO many other places and people and my own family included. It might only look like 160 here and hopefully a couple hundred somewhere else… but to decide that families should struggle dangerously close to the edge and have to cut so many basics fromm their budgets so that special children could get their education is not a decision the goverment should be making for me. I know 160 doesn’t seem to make or break anyone’s budget but as anyone who has to stick to a skeleton budget knows, every bit adds up. Those of us who are struggling so desperately and who’s children can’t even eat healthy food or go to the doctor because we are in that very bad middle bracket are perhaps the most “vulnerable” citizens. Who asked you to decide how to spend my money?
change the pic. This one still gives us the Finger as business admin
to # 22- what do you think the most expensive item is to the taxpayers of lakewood. Do you think they would be happy if those choices were really made.
too # 22- PLEASE LEAVEEEEEEEEE AGAIN
Well, I see you cut out the courtesy busing posting again. That’s the 3rd time. I guess no one is allowed to say anything about that subject. I wonder who is requiring the removal of anything about it?