Mixed Reaction to Regional School Budget

Residents had the opportunity to ask questions about the Ramapo-Indian Hills 2011-12 budget its formal hearing Monday night. The district's proposed $49 million budget reflects a decrease to the overall tax levy, however under the regional funding formula, Wyckoff homeowners will see an increase to their tax bill, while Franklin Lakes and Oakland taxpayers will pay less. 

"You're patting yourselves on the back that taxes are going down," former Board member Susan Winton said at the meeting. "As a resident of Wyckoff, I don't see that."

In the presentation, Business Administrator Frank Ceurvels showed budget category figures from the last four years and noted the overall budget has increased by less than 3 percent over four years. Of that, $800,000 was for capital projects and $400,000 for everything else. 

"That's less than 1 percent of the total budget," Ceurvels said. The district achieved that, he said, by thinking outside the box to find ways to trim spending. 

The category with the largest increase is employee benefits, which has risen 12 percent over four years—something that is "not going to be resolved at the local level, but will need to be resolved on the state level," he said.  

The $49 million budget budget reflects a 2.83 percent increase in spending and a 0.24 percent decrease to the tax levy. Due to the regional funding formula, which changes from year to year, Wyckoff residents will see a $94 increase on a home assessed at $810,600, the township’s average. Franklin Lakes and Oakland residents will see a $34 decrease for the average home assessed at $1,032,252 and $407,800, respectively.

For the budget to pass in the  April 27 election, it must pass by a cumulative majority from the three sending municipalities of Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland. 

Property taxes comprise 93.18 percent of district funding, Ceurvels noted. The complete loss of state aid last year and the partial restoration this year leaves the district short $1.6 million "of direct property tax relief," he said. "Between this year and last, that is $3.7 million that we haven't gotten that I believe we are entitled to." 

A state , and declared the cuts Gov. Chris Christie made to state aid unconstitutional last week.  

Detailed budget is available on the district website and residents with questions about the budget are encouraged to contact budgetqa@rih.org. 

A closer look at the budget—and a breakdown of what it means to you—is available here.