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Councilman raises transparency concerns as Byram BOE contemplates 7% tax increase
Summary
Councilman Roseff read a statement criticizing the Byram Board of Education's process and possible move to a 7% tax increase; the council declined to pass a formal resolution opposing the increase and the mayor said he would contact the superintendent.
Councilman Roseff told the Byram Township Council on May 6 that he was concerned about a potential 7% tax increase being considered by the Byram Board of Education and criticized what he described as a lack of transparency in the board’s budget process.
Roseff read a prepared statement that summarized his concerns about changes to meeting dates, previous voting patterns and the district’s enrollment losses since the mid-2000s. He questioned the board’s handling of a year-to-year shift from a previously reported 2% proposed increase to what he said may be a newly proposed 7% increase. "We have volatile budgeting requests for an already well funded district and a BOE willingness to disregard the public interest," Roseff read into the record.
Roseff also asserted that Byram Schools’ per-student spending exceeds $21,000 and said that the district previously reported a lower figure in communications to the public. He urged the council not to ignore the issue.
The rest of the council did not support Roseff’s proposed resolution opposing the 7% increase. Mayor Rubenstein said he would call the superintendent to discuss transparency and the budget timeline. There was no formal council action to endorse or oppose the BOE budget at the May 6 meeting.
