Bradley Beach Board Adopts Budget with Slight Increase
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Bradley Beach Board of Education adopted its 2007/2008 budget Tuesday night, representing a 0.07 increase costing average taxpayers about $30 per year.
The average home assessment in the borough is $529,000.
Interim Business Administrator Dominic Carrea attributed the minor increase to the fact that a town wide revaluation was completed in the borough last year with average property values rising by almost 250 percent.
The total amount of taxes to be raised on the ballot April 17 is $5,041,979 with the 2007/2008 total general fund at $6,883,158.
The budget also contains $172,858 in a debt service fund for bonds sold for improvements to the school facilities. The county asked this year that those funds being raised as part of the tax levy be noted separately.
The budget also includes $100,000 in an expense emergency account. The state imposed a 4 percent tax cap this year, but allowed districts to set aside money in an emergency fund. The total amount allowed in the fund is $250,000 and is cumulative.
Carrea said the board could add to the fund next year.
Current state laws allow only 2 percent of district’s budget to be used for surplus.
“The state realized 2 percent surplus is not enough,” said Carrea.
In the past there was no limit put on the amount of surplus a district could carry, but the state had been reducing it in incremental percentages in recent years.
The funds can be used for unforeseen mandatory expenditures.
In other business the board approved the purchase of an emergency phone notification system for the district at a yearly cost of $950 with an additional charge of 20 cents per call.
The system, called “Watchful i” will be implemented in September.
The system, similar to a reverse 9-1-1 allows the district to send out calls to all 270 district families simultaneously.
Board Member Tammy Totten, who chaired the committee investigating the service said it was a “win-win” for the district.
“It’s very inexpensive and provides a valuable service,” she said.
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