Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The West Deptford Board of Education passed a preliminary budget that included a reduction in the tax rate increase thanks to a boost in state aid.
A bit of relief in the form of increased state aid has helped to lower the initial tax levy on township residents in the tentative West Deptford School District budget for 2013-14. The school board passed a tentative budget of approximately $44.696 million at Monday night's meeting. The tax increase, which was originally presented as 9.90¢ per $100 of assessed value at a budget work session meeting back on Feb. 23, now stands at a 8.344¢ increase per $100 of assessed value. Much of the reduction in the tax rate increase was due to an increase in state aid. Last week, the school district received a 3.8 percent increase in state aid from the 2012-13 school year. The total amount of state aid the school district will receive for 2013-14 is $…
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The district's 3.8 percent increase in state aid comes as New Jersey gives more total funding for education than it ever has.
In what the Christie administration calls “the largest appropriation of K-12 education dollars in the state’s history,” West Deptford got a bump in its state aid to schools. The district will receive 3.8 percent more in the coming year from its state package than it does now. State aid will total $11,973,549, an increase of $441,890. The news of any state aid increase is likely welcome to West Deptford administrators, who have taxpayers staring down the barrel of a tax hike. The preliminary budget presented at the school’s board workshop meeting featured a tax rate increase of 9.9¢ per $100 of assessed property value. A steep drop in West Deptford’s ratables—the number of taxable properties—in West Deptford. This year's decrease amounts to…
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The preliminary budget presented by Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman includes 9.9¢ tax rate increase for West Deptford taxpayers.
West Deptford taxpayers were given advance warning two weeks ago about a decrease in tax ratables for the township. On Saturday, the numbers revealed a drop even steeper than the previous year. The West Deptford Board of Education's budget work session on Saturday confirmed another huge drop in tax ratables—the number of taxable properties—in West Deptford. This year's decrease amounts to just over $188.1 million, an even larger decrease than last year's $172 million ratable decrease. In that respect, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman's presentation was similar to last year. He broke down a preliminary budget of $43.871 million for the 2013-14 school year. The figure is lower than the final budget the school board approved for 2012-13, which…
Saturday, February 16, 2013
'The tax rate will have to increase, even if we keep the school budget the same as we had it last year,' the business administrator said.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Business Administrator William Thompson warns that taxes may increase for West Deptford residents for a second straight year.
For a second consecutive year, the school budget is going to cost West Deptford taxpayers more money. William Thompson, assistant superintendent and business administrator, laid out the budget realities at Monday's board of education meeting after receiving ratable information from Gloucester County. “The tax rate will have to increase, even if we keep the school budget the same as we had it last year,” Thompson explained. Ratables decreased from a number of residents and businesses leaving the township, Thompson said. The tax base took a big hit in 2012, mainly due to the departure of Sunoco. The public will get a chance to weigh on the 2013 district budget at a board of education budget work session, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb…
Thomas J. Nocella
7:57 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I believe I recently read on the Patch that the $9.90 was double what the tax was previously so how is it a tax decrease. Yes a decrease from the original proposal but truly not a decrease to anyone. more ›