For many years the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District could count on Stan Katz to watch out for the taxpayers. Since he retired in 2008, we have missed his adult supervision over the district finances. For example, at the end of the June, 2007, school year the fund balance in the general fund was $16.5 million.
At the end of the June, 2011, school year, the fund balance has grown to $25 million, a 50 percent increase. Over those four years, the district has been very creative and raised property taxes by more than the state cap.
Year after year they build the new budget from the inflated numbers of the prior year, so that the excess continues to compound. For the 2010-’11 budget year, the general fund spending was budgeted at $143,298,316. Actual expenditures were $132,314,813, resulting in an $11 million favorability.
Since next year’s budget was based on the prior budget, our property taxes continue to be inflated. When will the taxpayers get real tax relief from these over stated budgets?
Quentin Walsh
Plainsboro
Editor’s note: Walsh’s wife, Ellen, is a member of the WW-P School Board. The comments above reflect his views and not hers.
