Seniors contribute toward school budget

During the last few weeks there has been a great deal of discussion about the Jackson Board of Education budget and why it didn't pass or why it failed. You could choose any number of reasons and probably find individuals that agree or disagree with you.

However, in any discussion, the impact of the senior vote looms large in everyone's assessment. Two theories seem to exist. The seniors voted the budget down because they do not support education.

Alternatively, the seniors voted against the budget for the same reason that other people voted against the budget. It was perceived to be over-inflated, inefficient or they simply were tired of the tax and spend syndrome and it was the only budget they could vote for or against.

The answer will never conclusively be known because, in the end, each senior voted his conscience just like any other voter, but they at least did vote. If other residents voted in the same proportions as the senior community, the vote could have had a completely different outcome.

Lost in all of these discussions is the fact that seniors are "cash cows" for this township, requiring very little in direct services and contributing significantly to the tax base of all residents.

Consider the fact that four senior communities - Westlake, South Knolls, Metedeconk and Winding Ways - contribute approximately $21 million in taxes a year to the township and county coffers. This is approximately 21 percent of the residential ratable base for the township. If these seniors communities did not exist, the net reduction in overall township services would be extremely small since most of these communities are self-contained and use very little in township or county services.

Your estimate might be different, but my calculations indicate that the impact would raise the current $4.01 tax rate to approximately $4.95 per $100 of assessed valuation, a 23 percent increase in the overall tax rate.

Therefore, whether you think the seniors voted down the budget or not, you might want to think again about what they do contribute and where we might be if they weren't residents of the township. Equally important, the right to vote is a privilege that we all have in this country. When the next Board of Education budget is on the ballot, it is something we should all do, regardless of how we vote on the budget.

Paul Mayerowitz

Jackson