Towns work on rejected school budget
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer

The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional Board of Education has sent the school budget to the Aberdeen Township and Matawan Borough councils after voters rejected the budget last month.

"It is a fairly routine process by now," said Board of Education President Patricia Demarest. "Both councils will recommend an amount to be cut from the budget and then they will send it back to the Board of Education and we will decide where to make the cuts."

According to Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato, committees were formed from each municipality and the Board of Education.

"Initially, the two municipalities sat down and discussed the options we have," he said. "We could either make the certification and make the cuts or not certify the budget and send it to the county."

The committee from Aberdeen consists of Mayor David Sobel, Deputy Mayor Wilhelmina Gumbs and Councilwoman Janice Gallo.

Representing the Matawan Borough Council are Buccellato, council President Michael Cannon and Councilwoman Linda Clifton.

From the Board of Education, members Jan Rubino and Patricia Demarest represent Aberdeen, and Lawrence O'Connell and Charles Kenny represent Matawan. Superintendent Dr. Richard O'Malley and BusinessAdministrator Susan Irons were also present to oversee the readjustment process, as were Matawan Borough Business Administrator Fred Carr and actingAberdeen TownshipManager James Lauro.

"It is my understanding that they made a $2 million cut and switched their insurance plan, saving around $750,000," Buccellato said.

"The next step for us in Aberdeen would be to distribute the information to the rest of the council," said Sobel. "The council doesn't work on the school board's budget for 12 months, and then when it is defeated we need to look at it. It's a subjective process."

Both councils and the Board of Education will hold meetings on Monday, May 19, to pass resolutions adjusting the budget. The state deadline for budget adjustments is May 19.

The $63.3 million school budget was voted down by a margin of 232 votes April 15. Of a total of 2,438 votes cast, 1,335 voters, or 54.76 percent, said no to the budget while 1,103 cast yes votes.

This year's budget called for a proposed tax levy of $46,805,204.

Last year, voters also rejected the proposed $62 million school budget by more than 60 percent, casting 1,365 no votes to 844 affirmative votes.

"The budget has been defeated before, so it's a process we don't relish undertaking, but we are required to do so by law," Sobel explained.