Tax hike coming for Paterson residents as school board approves budget
PATERSON — City homeowners face an average annual tax increase of $226 to pay for Paterson schools under the $780 million budget that received preliminary approval from the Paterson Board of Education on Friday night.
The budget would raise local school taxes by 8%, slightly higher than the 7% increase Paterson education officials talked about during the winter. This marks the first time in five years that Paterson’s school tax hike percentage was in single digits.
District officials noted that for the fourth consecutive year, the city’s schools budget would not require layoffs or program cuts. Last decade, Paterson schools went through a series of layoffs that cut more than 1,500 jobs.
“This preliminary budget provides the resources needed to put our students on the path to greater academic achievement while maintaining a high standard of fiscal responsibility,” said Board of Education President Nakima Redmon.
The budget will add 11 new bilingual teaching positions, 11 aides for students in special education and nine more student assistant counselors, officials said. The district also plans to increase the size of its in-house security staff under this budget, but officials have not said how many extra guards would be hired.
The board voted 6-3 in favor of the budget, with members Valerie Freeman, Eddie Gonzalez and Manny Martinez opposed. Those who voted against the budget expressed their disapproval of the tax increase.
The board had raised taxes by double-digit percentages for the past four years, after rarely imposing a hike during the two previous decades. District officials said owners of houses assessed at the city average of $196,000 would pay $226 more per year in property taxes under the budget.
It's official: Laurie Newell will be Paterson's next schools superintendent
Some board members asked if the district could simply reduce the rate of the tax increase to 1%. Business Administrator Richard Matthews said it would require another $4.7 million in cuts, and Superintendent Eileen Shafer said that would amount to eliminating 35 jobs.
Board member Kenneth Simmons said Paterson risked having the Passaic County executive superintendent of schools’ office impose a larger tax increase if Paterson didn’t strike a balanced school budget. Or, Simmons said, the state Education Department could take back control of city schools.
“It’s dangerous,” Simmons said.
But other board members expressed frustration that the administration had not addressed the structural financial problems plaguing the district.
"We can’t continue to operate from a place of fear,” Martinez said.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson taxpayers facing 8% hike after school budget is approved
