FRHSD budget passes muster with voters

FRHSD budget passes
muster with voters
Whitehouse, Lavin, Lawson, Cappiello
elected to board
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Residents who went to the polls on Election Day, April 20, approved the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education’s $142,216,115 budget for the 2004-05 school year by a vote of 8,696 to 7,441.

The district will collect $87.6 million in local property taxes to support the budget.

"I’d like to thank all of the district supporters who went out and voted," said Superintendent of Schools James Wasser. "Their support will allow the district to continue its outstanding academic and extracurricular programs."

Wasser said he wanted to congratulate all of the 18-year-olds who voted in their first election. He said their enthusiasm for the democratic process was refreshing and said he hopes they will use that process to continue to make their voice heard throughout their lives.

"The district board and administrators worked diligently to put together a responsible budget with minimal increases to the majority of our communities," said Wasser. "The district will continue to fight for tax relief and the manner in which school funding is allocated."

With the passage of the 2004-05 budget, the district will be able to move forward immediately to apply for state funding for needed roofing projects, the superintendent said.

"We will also be able to move forward with the hiring of new staff and the ordering of supplies and equipment for September," said Wasser.

Residents in five of the district’s eight sending municipalities voted in favor of the budget, while voters in three municipalities rejected the budget. The vote total in favor of the budget carries the proposal.

The budget was approved in:

• Colts Neck, 1,208 yes to 985 no.

• Freehold Borough, 309 yes to 305

no.

• Freehold Township, 1,681 yes to 1,008 no.

• Manalapan, 1,184 yes to 936 no.

• Marlboro, 2,029 yes to 1,703 no.

The budget was defeated in:

• Englishtown, 86 no to 36 yes.

• Farmingdale, 135 no to 100 yes.

• Howell, 2,283 no to 2,149 yes.

Voters also elected four members of the FRHSD board.

In Freehold Township, Chia Whitehouse received 1,260 votes to defeat Randy Vollbrecht, who received 1,149 votes. Whitehouse will serve a one-year unexpired term. Residents in Freehold Borough and Freehold Township voted for the Freehold Township representative.

In Howell, incumbent Ronald Lawson received 2,061 votes to defeat Donald Morris, who received 1,259 votes. Lawson won a three-year term. Residents in Howell and Farmingdale voted for the Howell representative.

In Farmingdale, incumbent Kathie Lavin ran unopposed and won a three-year term. Lavin received 2,225 votes from residents of Farmingdale and Howell.

In Englishtown, incumbent Diana J. Cappiello ran unopposed and won a three-year term. Cappiello received 1,230 votes from residents of Englishtown and Manalapan.

With the approval of the budget, residents of the eight sending communities will see their FRHSD tax rate increase by the following amounts:

• Colts Neck — 3.1-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation. To the owner of a home assessed at $200,000, that will be a $62 increase; to the owner of a home assessed at $300,000, that will be an increase of $93.

• Englishtown — 11.2-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation. To the owner of a home assessed at $150,000, that will be an increase of $168.

• Farmingdale — 10.1-cent in­crease per $100 of assessed valua­tion. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $150,000, that will be an increase of $152.

• Freehold Borough — 2-cent in­crease per $100 of assessed valua­tion. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $150,000, that will be an increase of $30.

• Freehold Township — 1.8-cent increase per $100 of assessed valua­tion. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $200,000, that will be an increase of $36. To the owner of a home assessed at $300,000, that will be an increase of $54.

• Howell — 2.9-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation. To the owner of a home assessed at $200,000, that will be an increase of $58. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $300,000, that will be an increase of $87.

• Manalapan — 0.3-cent in­crease per $100 of assessed valua­tion. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $200,000, that will be an increase of $6. To the owner of a home assessed at $300,000, that will be an increase of $9.

• Marlboro — 2.1-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation. To the owner of a home assessed at $200,000, that will be an increase of $42. To the owner of a home as­sessed at $300,000, that will be an increase of $63.

Students from Howell attend the six schools in the Freehold Regional High School District.