Clark Township council adopts ordinance to share pilot payments with school district after public questions
March 19, 2024 | Clark Township, Union County, New Jersey
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Council president Albanese presided over a public hearing and vote adopting Ordinance 24-05, which requires Clark Township to share certain pilot payments with the Clark Board of Education.
At the public hearing residents asked for details about the dollar amounts and the formula used to compute the school’s share. John Greaves, of 30 Parkway Drive, said the ordinance references roughly $55,000 going to the schools and questioned whether that amount would cover the additional cost of students from a 177-unit development, noting the district’s per-student revenue. Greaves said, “That $55,000 doesn't really cover the revenue for 3 students,” and urged the council to account for the burden on public services.
Michael Schulman, 382 Carolina Street, asked the council to disclose the total pilot payment per year and the number of years the pilot will run, and whether the payment is a fixed amount or tied to income or rents collected at the property.
The mayor and council responded that the ordinance formalizes a decision already made in the pilot agreement and clarified that the school district will receive the proportion of revenue it would have received under a normal tax assessment. The mayor said the township’s tax office and business administrator can provide the precise numbers and invited residents to a follow-up meeting to review the calculations.
The council closed the hearing and adopted the ordinance by roll call; the clerk recorded affirmative votes from each member present. The president noted the ordinance is intended to “break away from the tradition of a pilot where all the money goes to the township” and to give money to the schools while preserving municipal revenue needed for services.
The council and administration also told residents that, per state practice, the school budget process is separate from the township’s budget and that schools have caps and processes for requesting additional funds if needed. The administration offered to provide itemized figures on request.
At the public hearing residents asked for details about the dollar amounts and the formula used to compute the school’s share. John Greaves, of 30 Parkway Drive, said the ordinance references roughly $55,000 going to the schools and questioned whether that amount would cover the additional cost of students from a 177-unit development, noting the district’s per-student revenue. Greaves said, “That $55,000 doesn't really cover the revenue for 3 students,” and urged the council to account for the burden on public services.
Michael Schulman, 382 Carolina Street, asked the council to disclose the total pilot payment per year and the number of years the pilot will run, and whether the payment is a fixed amount or tied to income or rents collected at the property.
The mayor and council responded that the ordinance formalizes a decision already made in the pilot agreement and clarified that the school district will receive the proportion of revenue it would have received under a normal tax assessment. The mayor said the township’s tax office and business administrator can provide the precise numbers and invited residents to a follow-up meeting to review the calculations.
The council closed the hearing and adopted the ordinance by roll call; the clerk recorded affirmative votes from each member present. The president noted the ordinance is intended to “break away from the tradition of a pilot where all the money goes to the township” and to give money to the schools while preserving municipal revenue needed for services.
The council and administration also told residents that, per state practice, the school budget process is separate from the township’s budget and that schools have caps and processes for requesting additional funds if needed. The administration offered to provide itemized figures on request.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
