MAYOR METZNER AND HER TEAM SAVE WINSLOW TAXPAYERS $3.1 MILLION.

Mayor Metzner addresses the public regarding school budget cuts.

This posting is now updated with open public records detailing specific budget cut recommendations.

The Mayor and Township Committee addressed the defeated school budget in open session. The Committee voted to decrease the school budget by $ 3,144,481. Which eliminated the 21 cents per hundred dollars of assessed property value increase, the school board was asking the taxpayer to pay.

Consulting with the Township's Auditor, Chief Financial Officer, Administrator and sub-committee members, the Township Committee made very specific recommendations of what areas of the school budget should be cut. As of this UNofficial report, no programs, staff, transportation, or line items effecting the student body are being recommended to be cut.

The Mayor and Township Committee made recommendations of which line items of the school budget should be cut. The Board of Education can choose to accept the Committee's recommendations or may opt to make their own determination of where the financial cuts should be made. The Board of Education also has the option to legally challenge the Township Committee's decision to cut the school budget.

Some of the line items being recommended by the Mayor and Township Committee to be cut include:

1) Board of Education dinners & retreat cut saves $8,680.

2) Catering services cut from $9,100. to $3,300. saves $5,800.

3) A 2nd line item for catering and an unidentified item titled "increase" cut saves $23,700.

4) Board of Education travel expenses cut to $1,500. Saves $12,700.

5) Police officers assigned to the school district are being paid for by the municipality. Therefore $125,000. can be cut from the school budget for this purpose.

6) Snow plowing services are to be provided by the municipality, therefore $29,000. can be cut from the school budget for this purpose.

7) The cost for the police DARE officer will be paid by the municipality, therefore $22,000. can be cut from the school budget for this purpose.

Please click here for the complete resolution and schedule of specific line items being recommended by the Mayor and Township Committee to be cut from the school budget.




Committeeman Cooper remarks on school budget issues.