April 17, 2018 BOE Workshop Meeting & April 25, 2018 BOE Voting Meeting

I'm slowly working my way through these videos, it's tough when there are two meeting within 7 days that you need to get through. However, for the April 17th Workshop meeting, we have the luxury of having the Meeting Minutes available to cheat a little. 


April 17, 2018 BOE Workshop Meeting



At the April 25th meeting, a final budget presentation was given (which I recommend watching) and the budget for 2018/2019 school year was voted on. The budget for the 2018/2019 school year contains a 1.24% increase over last years school budget which means an increase of  $131 per year for the average Middletown home.

The budget passed on a 5-4 vote and you can read more about it HERE


April 25, 2018 BOE Voting Meeting


You can find the various agendas for these meetings ... HERE

March 20, 2018 BOE Workshop Meeting

I'm about halfway thru watching this video from the March 20th workshop meeting of the Middletown Board of Education (BOE). I'm posting it now because the video from Wednesday night's March 28th meeting will be posted soon. People should get caught up with the current video if possible before watching the one that will be posted to the Middletown Board of Education YouTube channel.

It was during this meeting that the BOE presented an overview of the new 2018/2019 FY School Budget that would be voted on at the March 28th meeting, which included funds for additional security officers and school improvements. 



The various meeting agendas for this meeting can be found on the BOE's website.

Middletown Releases Budget Proposal

Last Monday, before the regularly scheduled workshop meeting of the Township Committee, Middletown released it's proposed budget for the 2016. The proposed $70.3M budget for this year reflects a tax rate that is relatively flat from last year but will cost the typical homeowner about $32 more this year.

There is a bit of controversy with the budget as to what the cost drivers are behind it. It seems that the township is significantly increasing it's work force this year by adding 42 full-time employees and 18 part-time employees if you compare the online 2015 User Friendly Budget document with the 2016 User Friendly Budget document

This fact was vehemently denied by Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore on Facebook when it was pointed out by Russ Zimmer, the reporter for the Asbury Park Press. Tony said that he would get the real number and pass it along. Unfortunately, Tony must have forgotten because he never got back with the correct numbers. So until "real" number are given I have to believe that the online documents are correct.

Here are some budget highlights from the Asbury Park Press:

• $1 million in new capital costs is being earmarked for a new town hall.
• The town anticipates having 108 police officers, or 10 more full-time officers than last year, at a total cost of $18.2 million, an increase of 10 percent from the 2015 budget.
• Township revenues from charges like court fees and parking permits is expected to be off by about $1 million from 2015, or about a 7-percent drop.
• Middletown will also be losing $129,000 in income because Trinity Hall, a private school that had been paying $20,000 a month to rent Croydon Hall, is leaving in June 2016.

Video courtesy of the Asbury Park Press



After the Asbury Park Press posted a link to their budget article on Facebook, the post received a lot of comments online, none that were very flattering, most rather critical you can read the Facebook comment (including some of mine) Here.

3-17-14 Middletown Budget Presentation

Prior to the March 17th Township Committee Meeting, the Township introduced the FY2014 budget to the public. The budget calls for a 2% increase in the tax rate.



The PowerPoint presentation can be viewed...  HERE

The prosed FY2014 Middletown Township Budget as presented can be viewed...  HERE

The Solid Waste Budget as presented can be viewed...  HERE

Two Meetings Tonight That Shouldn't Be Missed; MIddletown Board of Ed and Middletown Library Board of Trustees

If you are free tonight there are two meetings this evening that shouldn't be missed, both the Middletown Board of Education and the Middletown Library Board of Trustees meet tonight.

If you attend the Middletown BOE meeting you will find out that Interim Superintendent Thomas Pagano has submitted his resignation, if lucky you will find out why.

I have been told that he is leaving due to health reasons, evidently he is very sick and can't perform his duties as Superintendent of Schools. Funny, that is the same reason that recently elected BOE member Bob Banta gave when he handed in his resignation after only 1 board meeting.

If you happen to stop by the Middletown Library tonight, Library Director Susan O'Neal should be presenting the projected library budget (history and forecast) to the board of trustees.

From what I understand, it will demonstrate that transferring $500K of surplus funds to the township will mean the libarary will not recover to the 2010 funding level until 2022.

Knowing this, would the library board, as advocates for the library, vote for this transfer of funds to the Township? More than likely so, but should be? I think not, at least not all of it. The library is transferring nearly $250K more to the Township than legally required to do.

Both meetings should be interesting.

It's Your Town Newsletter Volumn 2, Issue 12, 6/21/10: The Budget Presentation

This is the first of two newsletters coming this week due to the fact that there were two separate Township Committee meetings held on June 21,2010 this month.

This first newsletter deals with the special budget meeting held earlier in the evening before the regularly scheduled meeting of the night. It includes the presentation of the Township budget for calendar year 2010 (which began in January) that was given by Middletown's CFO Nick Trasente.

The second newsletter coming later in the week will deal with the regular business meeting for the month.

Please read and pass this newsletter on to your friends in Middletown. This budget will affect every homeowners pocketbook, there is a 12.87% increase in our municipal taxes for this year. The budget is 63 pages and can be found here, it has comparissons of what was spent on line items from last year and because of this, residents will be able to see where the increases in the budget are.