BOE May Move Elections to November, Eliminate Budget Vote

The Lacey Township School District may consider acting on new legislation that allows communities to move school board elections from April to November and forgo a public budget vote.

The new law, signed by Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday, says school boards that move their elections to the fall no longer need to have their budgets passed by public referendum if they do not exceed the state’s 2 percent tax levy cap. If they do exceed the cap, a public vote would still be held in November when board members are elected.

“We’ll consider it,” Board of Education President Jack Martenak said. “At this point in time, we don’t have the details from the state on how this is going to be implemented.”

If Lacey chooses to support the new legislation, the board will consider adding a referendum to the February agenda, he said. Barnegat and Manchester School Districts already made the move.

“I think it has the potential to be a positive move,” Martenak said.

Holding elections in November would allow for a greater voter turnout and could help the district save on the costs of running a separate election.

If the district moves the election to November and does not exceed the 2 percent tax levy cap in its proposed budget, a referendum will no longer be necessary, which would allow for more planning without the concern of a budget outcome, Martenak said.

But Martenak does not see that part of the law as much of a change as the school district proposed a zero percent increase in the tax levy for the last two years, he said.

Martenak attended an Ocean County School Boards Association meeting last week that introduced the legislation but the district is still standing by to get further details, he said.

If the Board of Education chooses to leave elections in April, the township committee has the right to overrule the decision and the public can also petition.

Lanoka Harbor Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization President Carolyn Roselli said she does not have a firm stance on the issue but it may be beneficial to start with a budget in November with the same staff rather than issue a budget in April, as the school year comes to an end.

“[The board should do] anything that would be more beneficial to the students and would be helpful to the district in getting the things that the schools need,” Roselli, a teacher at a local preschool and parent of four children, said.

Mayor Mark Dykoff was not immediately available for comment.