$850K Chatham Referendum Proposal On Track For November Election

CHATHAM, NJ — The decision day is nearing for Chatham voters, who may be asked to support or reject a school bond proposal in the November general election.

Last year, the school district made the decision to include a second question on the November election ballot to fund the construction of six security vestibules, with the final interpretive statement being submitted to the county clerk's office this summer.

Bradley Smith, chair of the board's finance committee, has stated that the second question for the general public to vote on in the November elections is due to Chatham's inability to use the surplus COVID-19 funds in the budget for the upcoming year.

The second question would seek voter approval for $850,000 in funding to upgrade the security vestibules in the district's six school buildings.

If this question is approved, the 1.23 percent budget increase for the first question will be permanent. In subsequent years, the funds will be used for ongoing security costs and security enhancements, such as the maintenance of surveillance systems, the hiring of security personnel, the upkeep of cybersecurity software, and the fortification of the building perimeters at all six schools.

During the Aug. 21 board meeting, Board of Education President Jill Weber stated that the next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 18, will include a more in-depth presentation on the security features that the district intends to purchase with the money.

"It's good to be transparent about the exact projects that we're looking to do. I think we've been very clear that we need money for security, and that's what we're going to do with that money, and we're going to continue to be as transparent as possible," Smith said.

Since the announcement of the second question, some residents have been concerned about the mention of a permanent tax increase and wondered why the project could not be presented as a referendum with a one-time tax increase.

One of the main issues with using a referendum instead is that if it fails, the board will be unable to use money from the capital reserve fund to pay for the project.

Chatham Superintendent Michael LaSusa previously stated that none of the district's schools have two sets of mechanical doors that can be electronically locked and unlocked.

The permanent tax increase has the advantage of allowing all future funds generated by it to be directed toward other district improvements, potentially reducing the need for a future referendum.

During the Aug. 21 meeting, local resident Libby Hilsenrath asked for additional clarification on what the permanent increase means for taxpayers in terms of the school district's budget.

In response, Weber stated that the second question would be raising the base budget, not necessarily raising the tax levy percentage each year.

"It's a permanent increase, one time, but it increases the base. It's not that we're going to ask for that percentage each and every time, but it does become part of the base, which allows us to pay for ongoing expenses, like security guards and security improvements," Weber said.

The board stated that once the interpretive statement is approved and placed on the sample ballot, it will be posted on the school district's website, along with all other referendum-related information.