Edison 2013 Muni Budget - introduced at last night's meeting?!?

Well, last night the Edison Township Council introduced the 2013 Municipal Budget without any fanfare or without anything. They just opened it up for public discussion. Now, maybe it's me but you think they could of given a simple summary of where the Municipal Budget stands - you know, like what are the appropriations, revenues and local tax levy, the muni-tax rate and how did those items change from last year?? Did the muni-tax rate go up, down or stay the same?? Something, anything to give a basic framework to the residents and taxpayers.

Nah! Just ask your questions. That works, I guess, if you have a copy of the Municipal Budget at the meeting to look and to ask questions from. What a way to Not inform people who showed up for the meeting and those who will watch it later about the Introduced Municipal Budget for 2013!

Here's a Summary of the Municipal Budget for 2013:

The only thing I've seen on this Municipal Budget is a piece in the Sentinel here.

Now, apparently, the Council will be amending this Municipal Budget and have given out these dates:
April 24 - Introduced Municipal Budget (last night's meeting)

• May 1 - Public Meeting with the department heads
• May 8 - Amended Municipal Budget will be released
• May 22 - Public Meeting on the Amendment to the Municipal Budget

Anyhoo, don't you just get a kick out of how Politics in Downtown Edison always seem to benefit the few at the expense of the many!

Rob "March on Trenton' Karabinchak to Review School's Defeated Budget?!?

Really, What, Seriously, You for real, Are you kidding me - let's see, what else,

DUH!

Kind of sums up where I come down on the Edison Council appointing Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak to the sub-committee to review the $213.9 million voter rejected school budget for 2013-14.

Here's a guy who sat on the Council dais and adamantly stated there was No Municipal tax increase in 2011 when there was a 2.9-Cent increase or 2.7%  - and the tax bills were already out and we already paid half the year's tax increase.

If he didn't even know what was in his own budget, how does that qualify him to go after the Big $ on the School side of town?

Isn't that like sending David up against Goliath - without a slingshot?

Well, I just got done in a previous post saying I still had high hopes that the Council would do the right thing for the residents here in Downtown Edison with this defeated school budget. Geez, what was I thinking?!?

Good choice by the Edison Council. There goes those hopes!

Anyhoo, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that he can bring the many faces he has to the negotiation table with the Board of Mythomania.

Yet another Political 'hot potato' - the Edison Defeated School Budget for 2013-14!

While we wait to see how this year's $213.9 million Defeated School Budget plays out, I continue to hold out hope that an Edison Council will actually respect the wishes of the voters after the school budget was rejected at the polls.

Clearly, I'm not a supporter of this school budget for all the reasons you can read about in this blog. This budget (like all their budgets) is nothing more that an Uncontrolled and Out-of-Control, Bloated $pending Pot of Money that grows exponentially every year and moves around more than Councilman Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak looking for a home.

Uh..oh - there goes a vote!

Having said that about this school budget - I also recognize that these council reviews aren't a search for the truth on what needs to be done for the residents and taxpayers but rather a search to do the least amount of political damage and hence, a token slap on the wrist that gets lost in the school budget rounding, if even that.

After all, in Downtown Edison, history dictates that one-hand washes the other and both hands pick your pocket - when the Edison Council meets up with one of the Board of Mythomania's defeated school budgets. Don't think so? Just look at the last few 'Council Cuts' (below) to  Defeated School Budgets - every one of them still came with school tax increase, after the 'Council Cut.' More like paper cuts than real cuts!

So, I remind my friends on the Edison Council - when voters reject a school tax levy, their intent is to rein in $pending and actually reduce tax bills - not come back with a nominal reduction in the proposed school tax increase.

Real $pending Cuts should result when voters reject the school's proposed tax levy.

Here's some history of the school tax rate with the most recent voter rejected budgets:

And, if you're like me - here's a picture of those school tax rates with a "Staffing Shell Game' background - a disconcerting & disrespectful practice that continues on today:

Anyhoo, I'm hoping that this is the year that the Edison Council steps up to the plate and respects the wishes of the residents and puts an end to the Out-of-Control $pending going on over there on Mythomania Lane.

Hey, we all can hope, can't we?!?

You know it's the Silly Season when..

Super Dr. Richard 'Build the Trust" O'Malley decided to jump the gun and send a not so subtle message to the Edison Township Council in the SL article below before they had a chance to review the School District's $213.9 million Defeated School Budget - so here's another message for my friends on the Council.

Super O'Malley has spoken on Defeated School Budget - Council can go home now!?!

Just saw the piece in the Star-Ledger regarding the school budgets voted down in Belleville, Edison and North Bergen - you can see it here.

Well, looks like Super Dr. Richard 'Build the Trust' O'Malley doesn't think the Council will do anything substantial with that $213.9 million Bloated Pot of Money they (now) call Defeated School Budget for 2013-14.

Guess the Edison Township Council can put their pencils away and go back to their Municipal Budget for 2013 of $118.2 million with no property tax increase.

Here's some of the piece:
"I’m upset that the budget wasn’t passed because we presented a strong financial plan for education," Edison Superintendent Richard O’Malley said. "But voters responded and we have to adjust. They’re the ones who pay for the costs of education in Edison Township."

The budget Edison voters rejected included a 1.5 percent tax levy increase — well below the cap.
When voters reject a budget, the spending plan is reviewed by the town’s governing body, which can make cuts or leave the budget intact.

O’Malley said he does not expect Edison’s town council to impose deep cuts on the school budget.

"I can’t speak for the council, but I expect they’ll be reasonable. They’ve always been supportive of the district," O’Malley said. "We put together a budget we felt was the strongest spending plan, so any cuts, if there are cuts, will have an impact."

Just two thingies; Senor O'Malley is the last person I would look to for anything that has to do with School District budgets, numbers or their presentation and Poor test scores and Out-of-Control $pending Funded by and Hidden behind Re-purposed Tax Relief money hardly constitutes a strong financial plan.

Uh..just for the heck of it - the Edison Council should take a peek at that $213.9 million School Budget and see what they find. You know, just for a laugh - just like Senor O'Malley's comments above.

But hey, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that while Senor O'Malley can't speak for the council, he certainly has no problem telling them what he expects.

Anyhoo, this is an election year here in Downtown Edison - so let's see who steps up to the plate and respects the wishes of the residents by rejecting this budget and cuts this school tax levy substantially. You know, just like the School Board deceptively increased $pending substantially on the backs of the residents and taxpayers.

Board of Mythomania's Defeated School Budget - on to the Edison Council!

Well, the residents rejected the Board of Mythomania's $213.9 million Out-of-Control $pending Nightmare called a School Budget for 2013-14. That's good - but you really have to scratch your head when those responsible for this taxpayer abuse get re-elected! Who do you think is responsible for this School Budget? But I digress, so let's move on.

Since the School Budget was rejected, it now goes over to the Edison Council for review. The School Board has 2 days from certification of the election results to provide them with a 'Defeated Budget Package' (see below) and no later than April 24, 2013. Then, the two bodies get together and review the School Budget. It is now the Edison Council's responsibility to certify the School tax levy (amount of money necessary for school purposes to be raised by taxes for the ensuing school year).

Now, the Edison Council can do any number of things here. They can respect the residents' rejection of this School Budget and cut the School tax levy. They can do nothing and leave it as is or they could actually raise the school tax levy although that is not likely.

Either way, the School tax levy has be certified no later than May 20, 2013.

With respect to the 'Defeated Budget Package' that is provided to the Edison Council, there's a whole list of thingies required. Here's some of the thingies for their light reading:

• It includes a line-item School Budget including actual expenditures for the previous school year, actual budgeted amount for the current school year, proposed budgeted amount for the ensuing school year, and all the supporting documentation and narrative explanations.

• Numbers of professional and nonprofessional staff during the current school year - together with reasons for any increase or decrease.

• Employee and Labor contracts, etc.

• Pupil enrollment by grade

• Salary schedules by employee - current and budget year account and salary for all employees.

• Explanation of any need for any capital projects and or deposits into capital reserves.

• Applicable portions of the Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending.

• Any other documentation deemed necessary.

Anyhoo, let's hope the Edison Council does what's right for the residents and taxpayers here in Downtown Edison.

Board of Education Election - April 16, 2013

Here's yesterday's preliminary results from the Township Clerk's Office. The budget was defeated by a vote of 3,020 to 2,852. The incumbents won re-election.

This Excel file is by District - so, if anyone wants it, just drop me a note and you're welcome to it or you can go here to see the votes by district.