Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Caldwell-West Caldwell board clarifies two-question referendum, voting logistics and tax impact
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education answered public questions about two referendum questions — one to replace an expiring bond and one to build a field house — and described how voters will be notified and the expected tax impact for typical assessed values.
The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education on Monday, Jan. 27, clarified details about a two-question referendum that will appear to local voters and answered residents' questions about where and how to vote and the tax implications.
Board officials told residents that question one is designed to replace an existing district bond that is rolling off the tax rolls and therefore will not increase residents' taxes year over year. Question two, a proposed field house project with an estimated $15 million cost, would carry a separate tax impact if approved.
The explanation mattered to several residents who spoke during public comment. Mike Mignon of 23 Westville Avenue questioned whether the district's use of the phrase “no cost to the taxpayer” is misleading and warned that voters often view future borrowing as a continuation of current debt. “When we use those terms that it's at no cost to the public, it is at a cost to the public,” Mignon said.
District officials responded that the two referendum questions are independent. Board officials said question one would replace existing debt service so the tax bill “will stay as is” for that portion; question two, the field house, would add a tax impact if voters approve it. The board said it will publish the precise numbers on the district referendum website and in mailed materials.
The board also described how voters will be notified and where they will vote. Officials said every registered voter household will receive a mailed sample ballot with the voter's polling location and vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed soon. The board said typical polling locations will be the high school, Lincoln School and, in Caldwell, St. Aloysius ("St. Al's").
Officials provided preliminary per-household estimates for the field house question: roughly $127'$128 annually per $400,000 of assessed value, with slightly different per-house estimates for Caldwell and West Caldwell; those figures will be finalized on the referendum web pages and in mailed materials. The board also said a flyer describing costs and the projects will be mailed to every registered voter household before the vote.
Board members said the referendum's FAQs are being updated as questions come in and that the district will post answers to the district website. “We can only present information, present facts as we see it,” one official said, noting the district's goal to ensure residents are informed ahead of the vote.
Why it matters: The two separate questions mean voters can approve replacing the expiring bond (question one) without approving the new field house (question two). That distinction affects whether taxpayers see an increase in district-related property taxes and how the district plans near-term facilities work.
The board did not take a final vote on the referendum language at Monday's meeting; it used the public-comment period and its regular updates to explain logistics, costs and next steps. Vote-by-mail ballots and final mailed information were scheduled to be distributed in the coming days.
Votes or formal actions: none taken on the referendum at this meeting; the board answered public questions and directed staff to update FAQs and mail voter information.
