Hazlet keeps school taxes to nine-year low Voters twice rejected previous district budgets BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer HAZLET - The school district has released a 2008-2009 budget that calls for the lowest tax increase the district has proposed this decade. The increase of 1.84 percent, or 5.3 cents per $100 of assessed value per resident is less than half of what the district proposed the previous year (10.8 cents) and a third of what was proposed in 2006- 2007 at 17.9 cents. In both previous years, taxpayers failed to approve the budget. This year's proposed budget is $47.7 million, with healthcare, salary and benefits representing the largest contributors to the budget. If the budget is approved, on average taxpayers will see an increase of $71 per year or about $6 per month. "With the cost of living due to inflation rising to 2.89 percent per person for us to only have a 1.84 percent increase says a lot about our budget," Superintendent William O. George said. "It's a strong number to have." According to district Business Administrator ChristopherMullins, if the budget is defeated the taxpayers will see only a difference of $320,000 overall. The average taxpayer will only see a savings of $20 per year, or $1.68 per month if defeated. A large contributing factor to keeping the budget increase low is a $1.2 million increase in state aid, to $13.5 million, which is a 10 percent increase. "It's our lowest (increase) in nine years," George said. "We are proud of this budget." The local tax levy, which makes up 67 percent of the total budget, will be $31 million for 2008-2009, which is an increase of $350,000 from the previous year. Also to be voted on April 15 are the candidates for school board. Three seats are up for election with incumbents Joseph Lamb of Pineknot Avenue, Jay Oza, of Moak Drive, and Glenn Mason, of Bedle Road, running for re-election. A lso running for the seats are newcomers Gerard Jaume, of Rothbard Road, and William J. Kolibas Jr., of Laurel Avenue. For the 2008-2009 budget, the district will be using a regular surplus of $800,000 plus an additional $525,000. Over the past six years, $5.5 million of surplus has been used to offset potential additional increases in taxes. The public hearing on the budget will be held on March 19 at 8 p.m. at the Raritan High School Media Center. The district will be making presentations to the PTO and others at meetings leading up to the election. George and Mullins will be giving 20-30 minute presentations for the organizations they meet with. "We want the taxpayers to know that we are dealing with less this year," George said "We're hearing what the taxpayers have to say and are doing our share to help." Residents with questions about the budget, are asked to contact Mullins at (732) 264-8402 ext. 1109 or e-mail cmullins@hazlet.org.