School budgets might be taken off the ballot
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/10/06
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TRENTON — April school elections would be moved to November, but New Jersey voters would lose their say on school budgets under long-discussed legislation that has finally received serious interest from lawmakers and the governor.
Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr., D-Camden, is expected to announce support for school election changes today, and a Senate committee is slated to consider them on Thursday. Gov. Corzine on Tuesday expressed interest in moving school elections toNovember.
"Given the consistently low turnout in school elections, we need to be looking at ways to encourage voter participation, and this idea is worthy of consideration and debate," Corzine spokesman Brendan Gilfillan said.
The movement comes after a mere 15.7 percent of registered voters cast ballots in last month's school elections. Voters approved 53 percent of local school budgets, the lowest approval rate since 1994.
Roberts will announce his plan as part of a proposal to promote shared services and regionalization by municipalities and school districts, spokesman Joe Donnelly said.
"He supports changing New Jersey's system of school elections due to the state's low participation rates and expense of holding separate elections," Donnelly said.
Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, said this year's school elections prompted her to finally schedule a hearing on a proposal that has been floating around for years.
"We need to provide a greater opportunity to participate in the process," said Turner, who said she also wouldn't oppose moving school elections to the June primary election.
School budgets generally constitute most local government spending, which is funded via property taxes. They're also the only major spending plans subject to direct approval by voters.
Turner said her bill would subject school budgets to voter approval only if the proposed spending plans exceed state mandated caps that limit school spending increases to 2.5 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is greater.
Eliminating voter approval of budgets should mollify school officials who oppose moving the April elections to November, Turner said.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/10/06
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TRENTON — April school elections would be moved to November, but New Jersey voters would lose their say on school budgets under long-discussed legislation that has finally received serious interest from lawmakers and the governor.
Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr., D-Camden, is expected to announce support for school election changes today, and a Senate committee is slated to consider them on Thursday. Gov. Corzine on Tuesday expressed interest in moving school elections toNovember.
"Given the consistently low turnout in school elections, we need to be looking at ways to encourage voter participation, and this idea is worthy of consideration and debate," Corzine spokesman Brendan Gilfillan said.
The movement comes after a mere 15.7 percent of registered voters cast ballots in last month's school elections. Voters approved 53 percent of local school budgets, the lowest approval rate since 1994.
Roberts will announce his plan as part of a proposal to promote shared services and regionalization by municipalities and school districts, spokesman Joe Donnelly said.
"He supports changing New Jersey's system of school elections due to the state's low participation rates and expense of holding separate elections," Donnelly said.
Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, said this year's school elections prompted her to finally schedule a hearing on a proposal that has been floating around for years.
"We need to provide a greater opportunity to participate in the process," said Turner, who said she also wouldn't oppose moving school elections to the June primary election.
School budgets generally constitute most local government spending, which is funded via property taxes. They're also the only major spending plans subject to direct approval by voters.
Turner said her bill would subject school budgets to voter approval only if the proposed spending plans exceed state mandated caps that limit school spending increases to 2.5 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is greater.
Eliminating voter approval of budgets should mollify school officials who oppose moving the April elections to November, Turner said.
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