Schools

Galloway BOE Votes to Move Elections to November, Take Budgets Under 2 Percent Cap Out of Voters' Hands

The vote was 7-1, with one board member absent from the meeting.

Voters in Galloway Township will go in the polls in November to vote on school board elections beginning this year, and voters will no longer have a say in the school board’s budget as long as it remains under the two percent cap following an impromptu vote by the at its meeting Monday night, Jan. 23 at the

The vote was 7-1, with only Board Member Rich Dase voting no. Board Member John Knorr was absent.

The legislation was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie less than a week ago, but already, more than 20 school districts have voted to take advantage of the new legislation. Galloway joined that group Monday night.

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“We needed to be proactive,” Galloway Township Board of Education President Ernest Huggard said. “ … The Board of Education felt it was in our best interest. Based on all the facts, we had a lively discussion, and we felt it was in our best interest.”

Initially, the discussion was all that was supposed to take place, as nothing on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting indicated a vote would take place. The board was not in complete agreement, as Dase stated he felt the school board vote would become political if moved to coincide with state, municipal -and this year- a presidential election.

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“Politics and children should not mix,” Dase said during the discussion prior to the vote.

“We don’t believe that will be the case,” Huggard said following the vote. “It’s a valid concern. I’ve heard that same concern, but we don’t feel that will be the case.”

Huggard said it wasn’t clear how the ballot would be designed to coincide with state and national elections, but that it would be very important. Board Vice President George Schwenger said he hoped there would be a separate column altogether for school elections. Currently, there are two columns, A and B, one for Democrats and one for Republicans.

Mayor Don Purdy believes the election may become political, but doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.

“Everyone knows more people come out for the general elections,” Purdy said. “It’s another way for the public to speak.”

Schwenger also said that he had spoken with Knorr concerning the legislation, and Knorr was in agreement with the majority of the board to move the election.

“This will be a big thing off our back,” Schwenger said. “It’s pit young vs. old in the township. People who are mad at the property tax take it out on the school budget.”

There were three ways in which the legislation would’ve taken effect in Galloway:

  • by referendum, similar to the two placed before the voters by the and the school districts in December;
  • a resolution set forth by the board of education; or
  • a resolution set forth by township council.

Only one of those things needed to take place, and the Board of Education decided to act immediately, approving a resolution to place the item on the agenda, then approving the resolution with the 7-1 vote.

The new law governing these elections must now remain in place for the next four years, through 2015. If there is sentiment that it needs to be changed back, it can be changed in one of the same three aforementioned ways. If no action is taken, the change will remain in effect.

The legislation became law on Tuesday, Jan. 17, and the deadline to make a decision for this year is Feb. 27. If the board didn’t make a decision at Monday night’s meeting, it would’ve had to make a decision at the next meeting. If no decision was made this year, the change could’ve been made next year.

The budget will now be approved without going before the polls, as long as it remains under the two percent cap put in place by Christie last year. If it goes over the two percent cap, only the part of the budget that would go over the cap would then go before the voters, in the November election. The rest of the budget would become effective upon approval. The fiscal year remains the same.

Previously, the residents of the township voted on the budget in April. If defeated, the budget would then go before council, which could pass the budget as proposed or make cuts. This year, council cut out of the proposed budget after it was defeated on Election Day.

“You only get so many hours to get the information to council, and then they have two weeks to spend on something we just spent four weeks preparing,” Huggard said. “We’re very excited.”

“I don’t know their budget as well as I know my own, just like if you gave them our budget, we would have to bring them up to speed,” Mayor Don Purdy said. “They should be held accountable for their own budget, just like we are. If people don’t like what we’re doing with our budget, in November, they replace us. It should be the same thing for them.”

Then, in December’s special election, voters defeated a proposal concerning roof replacement at , and elementary schools, fire alarm replacement for Smithville, Roland Rogers and , and drainage system and parking lot improvements for Arthur Rann. On election night, the proposal appeared to be defeated by just three votes, and after provisional ballots were counted, the difference was eight votes.

That referendum goes back before the public March 13.

With the new legislation, the election now moves from the third Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November immediately.

Dase, Bob Iannacone and Eileen Kasunich are all up for re-election this year. No members of Galloway council are up for re-election this year. Election Day is Nov. 6.


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