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School advocates press council for payroll‑tax certification as board faces budget deadline
Summary
Parents and education advocates asked the council to certify a higher payroll‑tax figure and transfer unclaimed funds to the school district before its March 19 budget deadline; corporation counsel said a memo documenting balances would be provided to the district.
Education advocates and parents urged the Jersey City Municipal Council to certify an accurate employer payroll‑tax amount and to transfer additional payroll‑tax revenue to the Jersey City Public School district ahead of the district’s budget deadline.
Speakers at the meeting said the payroll tax — a local revenue stream intended to offset reductions in state school aid — had been under‑certified in past years and that the school district was using a smaller certified amount when preparing its budget. Dana Patton of Jersey City Together told the council that the district needed a timely and accurate certification so trustees can finalize the municipal aid picture before the March 19 deadline.
“Every person at this meeting now knows that this is an issue, and has a responsibility to see it get addressed in a timely manner,” Patton said, calling the lack of clear certification a transparency problem affecting students in higher‑need schools.
Members of the school and advocacy community asked the council to ensure the city routinely certifies the full payroll‑tax amount and transfers any 2024 collections in excess of the previously certified figure. The council and board of education operate on different fiscal calendars; school officials said they must use the city’s certification when assembling their budget.
During the council meeting the business administrator’s office responded: corporation counsel told the board of education and the superintendent that a memo had been sent documenting account balances and the timing of payments. Counsel described a balance of roughly $43 million available for remittance after current obligations and said quarterly payments are expected through the fiscal year; the memo showed the next transfers and said staff would provide additional documentation to the district.
Advocates said the timely certification and transfer of payroll‑tax funds is a near‑term action the city could take to help the district avoid program cuts. The school board’s budget timetable and the council’s communication about payroll collections were raised repeatedly in public comment as the district prepared a budget submission for a March 19 deadline.
