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(Courtesy of the Loveladies Property Owners Assoc.)
On Monday, January 3, fifty or more LBI property owners met with attorney Vito Gagliardi and two of his colleagues to explore legal options surrounding the island's lopsided student-to tax-payment ratio with Stafford Township's Southern Regional School System.
Gagliardi, James Kirtland and Don Beineman detailed several similar school tax situations in which they have taken action in the past on behalf of community taxpayers in Union and Camden counties. The project they are about to start begins with a feasibility study to outline economic effects of dissolution of LBI's role as the principal source of funds for the regional school system.
The work could lead to a special referendum in which LBI and Stafford Township significantly alter their school funding relationship. Beyond that, the State Commissioner of Education and/or the State Supreme Court could eventually become involved in the outcome.
(Courtesy of the Loveladies Property Owners Assoc.)
Led by the Borough of Beach Haven, a revolt may be underway against the school taxes paid by LBI property owners.
It has been reported that the Island, because of it is high ratables, pays 80% or more of the cost to operate Southern Regional High School, while sending only 10% of the students. At a meeting on November 8, Beach Haven proposed that the six Island communities join in support of a study to examine what might be done to correct the uneven school tax distribution between Stafford and the Island. The study would be carried out by Vito Gagliardi, Esq., an attorney who has handled similar cases elsewhere in New Jersey.
After hearing remarks from Mayor (and State Senator) Len Conners that supported maintaining the status quo, the Surf City Council voted unanimously to opt out of the study. Later, Barnegat Light's borough council, in a mixed vote, also decided not to support the feasibility study. Instead, the council approved a resolution to encourage all seven of the towns involved to get together and negotiate a reasonable adjustment to the present system.
To date, Beach Haven, Long Beach and Harvey Cedars have said they will support the study, Surf City and Barnegat Light have opted out, and Ship Bottom is yet to be heard from.
Mayor Whitcraft has been quoted as saying that the study will go forward no matter how many communities support it.