That headline covers just one aspect of the wrong-headed bill that passed the Senate Education Committee Monday and is headed to the full Senate. The reason this is back on the fast track has nothing to do with the Senate or anyone in Trenton actually caring about our school board elections. It is all about Trenton trying to find some way, any way to at least LOOK like they are working on property tax relief. AND Governor Corzine is simply stalling so he doesn't have to make his budget address in February...he would rather wait and see what kind of income tax revenues come in April.
Here are the main components of the Bill and why it's wrong:
1) Moving school board elections to November, combined with county, state and federal PARTISAN elections, will needlessly politicize school campaigns and clutter voters' mailboxes and attentions. School board elections should be based on educational issues -- that's it. Why do they think turnout will be better in November? Even when the governor's job and all state senators' and assemblypersons' seats have been up for election, turnout has remained consistent.
2) Eliminate the public elections on school budgets that are under state caps. This part is ok, in my opinion. Budget votes are basically meaningless because of the caps and adequacy amounts. Voters FEEL like they are actually influencing the budget, but the state is already controlling the potential for increase. And besides, with the economy, rising prices, flat state aid and threatened adequacy enforcement, there is little room for budgets to come in substantially below the 4% cap anyway.
3) Moving the vote on "second questions" for additional funding to November. This is just ridiculous. When the school district's budget year runs from summer to summer, how will we plan a budget when we won't find out about funding until November, half-way through the year? How will the village know how much property tax to collect? Will they have to go back and revise tax bills (which will cost the village money) if a second questions is passed in November? It's just silly.
This bill is about Governor Corzine and the legislature grasping at straws to help themselves look better and to help them deal with the tanking state economy. I don't appreciate it. I'm letting Senate President Richard Codey and Sen. Shirley Turner, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, know how I feel. Click on their names if you'd like to do that, too.
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2 comments:
The reason for moving the election is to ensure greater voter participation.
Of course your response in expected. You have been assimilated.
Well, I don't know about assimilation, sure doesn't feel that way day in and day out. However, the truth is, I opposed this election move publicly long before I was elected, so my view has not been changed or "assimilated."
Did you even read my response? First, I'm currently waiting to receive a report of Ridgewood voter turnout in all elections over the past few years. I'm curious to see the differential between April and November. I'll share that here when I get it. I suspect that the difference is not much. Then you have to consider what that greater voter turnout (if it even happens) will cost. One issue: Can you answer how the district is supposed to create its budget in a year when a second question is needed? We won't know until November if we have the needed funds or not. And if the second question passes, then the village will have to send out REVISED tax bills? That won't be free.
Aside from the 2nd question votes, I think requiring school board candidates to compete for voters' attention along with national, state, county, etc., candidates is detrimental to the process. I want our community to focus on the schools and what's best for the schools, not on the vote for president, for example, and then just check-off whoever when it comes to the school board. I don't want non-partisan school board candidates to get swept into the partisan campaigning.
It also bothers me that school elections are being singled out. Why not move ALL elections (except primaries, obviously) to November? What about Village Council, Freeholders, Sheriff, etc etc? Why isn't anyone pushing to move those elections?
The fact is, voter turnout is low, period. Doesn't matter if you're talking about April or May or November...a relatively small number of voters makes the decisions. If we don't like that we should figure out how to increase voter turnout across the board, not just pile all the votes and questions onto one clutter ballot.
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