Ho-Ho-Kus August 3, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 District to use aid for various costs, tax relief by Jennifer Crusco Ho-Ho-Kus school officials recently announced that the district plans to use $120,000 in newly-restored state aid for various costs and as revenue in the 2012-13 school budget. When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced the additional state aid distributions last month, he provided several options for the use of the money, and encouraged school districts to use the aid for tax relief. Options included the amendment of the current budget to spend the additional funds in 2011-12 or to reduce the current budget to return the money to the taxpayers. Additional options included using the money for tax relief in 2012-13 or 201314. In a letter to Ho-Ho-Kus residents, Superintendent Deborah Ferrara explained that, after reviewing its options, the board determined that a portion of this new state aid would be used for several items that are legally required or are desirable to maintain the quality of the district’s educational program. Plans call for the district to restore one of the three kindergarten aides whose positions were cut in 2010-11 when the district lost $600,000 in anticipated state aid. The board will also use the additional funds to cover the costs associated with an unbudgeted special education out-of-district placement for a newly enrolled student, and for repairs and maintenance to the facility. The aid will also be used for new accounting and personnel software, which Ferrara said will increase productivity and enhance efficiency in the school’s business office. The board will also set aside a portion of the $120,000 to be used for unforeseen expenses that may occur during the remainder of this year. “It is anticipated that the remaining funds will then be used as revenue for the 2012-13 budget,” Ferrara added. “Barring any unusual circumstances, this should provide some relief for taxpayers in the development of that budget. “As always, we are grateful to the Ho-Ho-Kus community for your continued support of our outstanding school system and will continue to exercise fiscal restraint as we maintain excellence.” Ferrara pointed out that, while the state has restored approximately $120,000 of the aid to the district that had been cut from the 2010-11 budget, the district originally faced a cut of over $600,000. Ho-Ho-Kus later receive approximately $200,000 back. She pointed out that, in light of the recent distribution of additional aid, almost half of the original state aid that had been cut has been restored. “Over the past year, the Ho-Ho-Kus Board of Education and school administration have worked to minimize the impact of the state aid cuts,” Ferrara noted. “We have diligently considered every expenditure and financial commitment that make up our very streamlined budget. We have also been very fortunate to have the assistance of both the Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation and Home School Association who have supplemented our revenue with very generous donations to student programs.” This week, Ho-Ho-Kus officials will travel to Trenton to meet with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection representatives regarding the potential increase of the borough’s water allocation. “We’re taking two tacks with this,” Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall told resident Stanley Kober at last week’s council session. Randall explained that, while the borough is working to meet current water use requirements, local officials are also seeking long-term relief. “We have to live within the law as it is and abide by the (one million gallon per day) allocation while it’s in place, while trying to avoid fines,” Mayor Randall said. He added that, working with the borough’s water engineer, municipal officials are seeking relief from the present cap and hope to show state officials the limit is not adequate. “The population hasn’t boomed, but more water is being used,” Randall said. Kober asked what formula the DEP uses to arrive at the allocation for Ho-Ho-Kus. Borough Administrator Don Cirulli said the complex formula takes into account population, the size of the municipality, and other factors. Kober also asked when the figure had last been updated. Cirulli said he was not certain when the last update had been made. Officials to discuss water allocation The resident asked if the population figure would include the number of people working at a business located in the borough. Councilman Phil Rorty said people working in town would be included, but Cirulli said the calculation could not be exact because it is difficult to ascertain the actual number of people who are working at any particular business. Kober asserted that borough officials had previously indicated that the increased number of sprinkler system installations had led to the spike in water use in the past. He questioned whether Ho-Ho-Kus had any more sprinkler system installations than other local towns. Mayor Randall pointed out that other towns are also having water issues. He said Ridgewood Water Company, which is based in Ridgewood and serves that town along with Midland Park, Glen Rock, and Wyckoff, also has water concerns. “They’ve bought more water,” Randall said, noting that Ridgewood Water Company deals with United Water in order to supplement its own supply. “They’re clearly beyond their bounds.” Kober then asked if local municipalities are having trouble because they are using software that contains glitches. (continued on page 21)