The new year will see existing challenges continue in Mt. Laurel Township. Maintaining the budget is the biggest challenge council members will face for yet another year.
Deputy Mayor Linda Bobo said the budget is a challenge every year.
“We are continuing to work to increase proficiencies in the township and implement shared services,” she said.
Part of the issue with balancing the budget is the number of tax appeals the township received.
Bobo said when residents pay their property taxes only 13 percent goes to the municipality.
When it comes to tax appeals, the township does not only pay back the 13 percent received from the taxpayer. It pays 100 percent of any refund due to taxpayers.
Approximately 67 percent of taxes are appropriated for the Mt. Laurel Public School District as well as Lenape Regional High School, while the rest is distributed to the fire district, parks, county and other services, she said.
“We have to pay 100 percent [of any refund] even though we only receive 13 percent of the taxes,” Bobo said, adding the township also has to pay for litigation costs that come with a tax appeal.
Recently the township was told by the tax board to begin a re-evaluation process of the township. Bobo said the township has to pay for the reassessment as well, and the results will appear in the 2014 tax bill.
The last re-evaluation was 17 years ago, she said. Besides the challenges of balancing the budget for 2013, a recreational walking path will be constructed on Hainesport-Mt. Laurel Road using county grant money, Bobo said.
Changes and challenges for the school district
The Mt. Laurel School District is looking at a few changes and challenges for 2013.
Director of Communication Services Marie Reynolds said the 2012–2013 school budget runs to June of 2013 and next year’s budget will be introduced at a public hearing in late April.
“The budget for next school year is currently in the beginning stages of being formulated,” she said.
New state mandates will be implemented during the 2013–2014 school year.
“We will be using the new state-mandated teacher evaluation tool, and our students will be taking a new version of the state test, which will be computer-based,” Reynolds said.
Training has already started for the new evaluation tool, and the program is currently being used as a pilot for a full year before it is required by the state, she said.
According to Reynolds, the school district is waiting for additional information from the Department of Education on how the new state test will be administered. “Obviously, a major challenge in that regard will be to assure that we have the necessary technology,” she said.
As for changes, the school district is reviewing various aspects of the curriculum, which is done at the same time every year, Reynolds said.
“Where there are possible changes, the costs associated are being analyzed and will be included in budget requests that may or may not be included in next year’s budget (beginning on July 1),” Reynolds said. More information on the school budget will be presented in April and more information on any proposed curriculum changes will be announced closer to April.
