BOE to Review, Vote on Initial Budget Tonight

B continue tonight at a special budget meeting where the board will pore over the propopsed $77.5 million spending plan for the coming school year.

Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield presented a preliminary budget with a 2 percent tax increase  “as a placeholder” until the district found out how much it was getting from the state, and school board members have said they want to come in under that amount. The district learned last week that it will get more than last year -- for a total of $1.8 million -- from the state.

The Board of Education's finance committee met on Tuesday night to go over the package that will be presented tonight, when the board is expected to  discuss and approve a preliminary budget that will be sent to the county for review.

"But this is by no means a final budget and certainly not the last time people will get to speak up about the budget," Crisfield said last week. "There will be many more opportunities for the public to share their thoughts."

The board used a new law to move school board elections to November, which eliminated the public's vote on the budget in April. The board will continue to vote on the final budget in April. Proponets of the change say it saves money, and with the 2 percent tax cap, there's no need to put the budget to voters. 

The decision to move the elections to November was met with disappointment and anger by many residents who have been to the editor calling it a blow to democracy since the result is that they no longer get to vote on the budget.

, represented by several residents who attend school board meetings and include former school board members, said to move the election to was improper and on Monday members urged the board to rescind the decision and let voters decide if it should be moved. If the board refuses, they said, they might be forced to file a

The board members approved the change 6-3 and those who support it says it will save money, bring more voters to the polls and because they are striving to stay below the tax cap of 2 percent and because the tax cap is low, a vote on the budget by the public in April is neccessary.

The board members who voted against it did not want to rush into a move to November and prefered to see a referendum letting the voters decide.

The residents opposed to the move say three board members who voted for it are up for re-election this year and have a conflict because it extends their terms. The board argues that moving it to November extends everyone's terms until everyone on the board was elected in November, so there is no conflict.

WeLoveMillburn represenatives have said they don't trust that the distrcit will always stay within the 2 percent cap -- because it doesn't stay within the caps on salaries and surplus. Additionally, they say, there are no guarantees that the cap will remain at 2 percent.

Do you think the board should stick with its decision or rescind it? Take our poll and let us know.

Tonight's meeting begins at 7:45 p.m. at the