As a former school board member and board president, I made a concerted effort with other board members to look at ways to improve education while always keeping in mind the taxpayers ability to fund the districts programs and goals.
Last year the administration proposed a new roof at the Maple Road Elementary school at a cost of $850,000.
We took it out of the budget and we're going to do it as part of an energy savings program under an energy audit the state is doing right now at no cost to the district.
We could then fund these energy saving improvements with existing funding there by not increasing the tax load on the residents of West Milford which is now even more important with the recent changes to the Federal tax code.
This year that proposed cost was over $1,300,000, a better than 50 percent increase. Not only is that highly unlikely but I believe a fabricated number to increase our taxes.
I say that because numerous times we caught the administration lying to the board. More importantly, Mr. Drew intelligently proposed bonding this improvement which would then qualify us for the state paying 40 percent of the roof cost, there by reducing any increase to $100,000 at best for maybe 8 years.
Our business administrator said when I complained about tax increases "it takes a village." Please come to the school board meeting on Tuesday, April 24 and let the village be heard that we want the district to spend our money wisely and bond this roof project.
Jim Foody
Former School board member
Hewitt