February 8, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Ramsey John J. Nunziata, president of the Ramsey Board of Education, has indicated that he will not seek re-election in April. Nunziata served as a trustee from 200003 and from 2006 to the present. He is currently completing his fifth year as board president. “It’s been a very rewarding and challenging experience,” Nunziata commented. “The current board members are very talented, dedicated individuals who work well as a team.” Nunziata expressed his confidence that competent candidates will come forward to seek election to the board. “The strength of the Ramsey Board of Education has always been that the trustees sincerely have the welfare of students, staff, and taxpayers as their focus. This is a magnificent school district, and it will continue to thrive in preparing students to be 21st century learners,” he said. Nunziata moved to Ramsey in 1979. He is graduate of Marist College and a retired School board president will not seek re-election IBM, ITT, and Verizon executive. He is active at Saint Paul Church. Nunziata said he believes the most demanding challenge the board will face in the future is the long list of state mandates that are “crippling the efficacy of local school boards.” He concurred with the two percent tax levy limitation that has been imposed. Nunziata believes the tax levy limit is an effective tool to bring relief to spiraling property tax increases. He added that the limits on New Jersey superintendents’ compensation “were implemented with no forethought on the immediate impact of attracting and retaining talented, experienced chief school administrators.” Nunziata cited the decision of Ramsey Superintendent Dr. Roy Montesano to retire from the New Jersey system to accept a position in New York. “Roy’s decision was clearly accelerated by the new rules, and this is a negative development for Ramsey Public Schools,” Nunziata added. Commenting on the Ramsey Board of Education’s contract negotiations with the Ramsey Education Association, Nunziata said, “Each side seems confident in their proposals and the board is eager to have an objective, independent state-appointed fact finder assess the positions and make a recommendation.” Trustees Richard Muti and Richard Snyder will also be eligible for re-election this year. The Ramsey Board of Education has voted 8-1 to retain the April school board and budget election. A new state law allows New Jersey’s school boards the opportunity to move their elections to the date of the November general election. That law also eliminates the requirement that districts allow the public to vote on the school budget, as long as the associated tax levy increase is within the state-mandated cap, which is now set at two percent. If the board had opted to move to a fall election, the board would have been committed to hold its election in November for the next four years. Any funds above the cap would have to have been presented to the voters in a special vote during the general election. Ramsey School Board President John Nunziata said the trustees who supported the status quo said it was important for the voters to have an opportunity to cast their ballots on the school tax. Trustees also said that holding the school board election in November could have the effect of politicizing the election, and several noted that, once the election date is moved, the district would be locked into a fall election for four years. Trustees retain April vote Nunziata reported that the district now spends approximately $15,000 per election. He said the savings the district could realize from moving to a fall election would not be significant. Trustee Richard Snyder, who cast the lone dissenting vote against retaining the status quo, said that, as a Dollars and Sense leader, he has testified for several years that the decision to move the election would be undesirable. However, he said the decision to let the school budget be voted down would be worse. Snyder explained that some residents vote for or against the school budget to deliver a message. “The vote is not always based on the merits of the numbers,” Snyder said. He pointed to the ongoing contract negotiations with the Ramsey Education Association, adding, “Last time (negotiations were in progress) the community voted the budget down – and it was a good budget.” Snyder said only 17 to 18 percent of the school budget is discretionary. “If the budget goes down (at the polls), you really start to hurt the kids,” he added. “I don’t want to take away anyone’s right to vote,” Snyder continued. “It’s not about that for me.”