MANVILLE: Taxpayers get hit twice by school district in Manville

Submitted Content
To the editor:
Well once again the Board of Education has raised the budget, some $808,000 or $731,000 depending on who you talk to. Although they got a $741,000 tax relief from the state, they chose to keep, yes keep instead of applying it to the increase.
Now they, the board of education, said are going to refund back to the taxpayers $100,000 of it, the real amount is $50,000 this tax year and another $50,000 next tax year. Remember, there are two different fiscal years here: the borough’s, which starts on January 1 and ends on December 31, and the school board’s, which starts on July 1 and ends June 30.
But knowing their history of deceit and misguidance, will probable include that other $50,000 as part of next year’s ‘tax relief’, or recant and keep it as a ‘hardship.’ By the way, how come every year the board of education goes beyond the two percent cap every year for the past five years?
Now here’s the horror and injustice to all taxpayers. By keeping the relief check portion of $641,000, rolling it into as part of this school year’s budget (nearly a $1.55 million increase) and without any increase next year, you will be paying tax on that relief fund – which came from taxes. Thus, a tax on a tax. Sad to say it, but we’d be better off with no relief.
Now check into your local school board, because there are only 13 boards across the state that have fully applied the ‘tax relief’ as just that, relief to the taxpayer, cancelling out any increase. The way I see it, the board has a duty to educate our children, but in the other hand, a responsibility to the taxpayers.
Stop increasing overhead. Apply it to the kids, labs, PCs, etc. Again duty, but also responsibility. I’d really like to open debate in my school board.
Bob Kaminski
Manville BOE candidate