Former BOE President John Sincaglia comments on the Berkeley Heights Public School District Budget

Mar 23, 20235 Comments

Former BOE President John Sincaglia wrote us on our last Night Watch Episode.

“I watched your recent night-watch session and want to let you and your group now about the cap budget threshold and budget voting..

Remember, any district that still votes for the “budget” is only voting on the tax levy not the budget as a whole.

Districts like ours that do not vote on the levy are restrained by the 2% rule. However, the 2% can be exceeded for certain adjustments such as enrollment, health care costs, a few others, and use of “banked cap.” You can only use banked cap after you have used the adjustments, assuming you were eligible to take them. The banked cap is good for 3 years. So whatever wasn’t used in 2021-22 could have been used in 2022-23, and is available in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Apparently Bradford’s question about how high they could actually go would have been using all the banked cap that is still available to them. That’s where Kot would have gotten the 3.19% amount, assuming she had previously and properly calculated that.

Your group kept talking about when a vote would be required and the only way there is a vote is if a district like ours submits a “separate proposal” that requires exceeding the cap and whatever adjustments and banked cap are used. That separate proposal must be approved by the county superintendent and then that proposal and only that proposal would be on the November ballot and must clearly state what it is for and whether the additional taxes required are a one-time impact or a permanent impact. If it passes, the District then must implement it for use in the remainder of the current budget year. It cannot be deferred until the next year. If it is defeated, it is dead and cannot be appealed. “

Mr. Sincaglia has strongly advocated a more transparent budget process and has voiced serious concerns about the District’s approach over the last two years.