Why I am voting NO on the Middletown Board of Education Election March 11 (Today)
By Chris Fotache
The Middletown Board of Education is attempting to borrow $32 million through a voter referendum on Tuesday March 11, 2014. You have probably not even heard of this because they are doing their best to keep it a secret so that only the school PTA’s and PFA’s (their cheerleaders) are the only ones who come out to vote. They have them brainwashed that this is such a great idea. What many people fail to realize is that the BOE spent $8 million over the last 2 years replacing roofs that needed to be fixed. This was done with extra money left over in the budget. And it was done with only 1% tax increases over the last 3 years. Why now does this new BOE need to pay an architect $1.3 million to do this work all over again? They paid this very same architect over $200K over the last year to do this same exact work. Why are they paying them again???
The answer is they can’t explain it. They refuse to answer any questions. They say vote for it because it’s for the kids. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD THAT BEFORE?
While it’s important to have the schools safe and running in a functional manner, the new Board’s level of mismanagement, misinformation, and incompetence is staggering. These repairs will get done whether the referendum passes or not as it’s the Boards’ obligation to do especially since the repairs are now public.
The board owns 11 properties in town worth millions that they could sell to fund these fixtures. Why are they not selling them and asking the tax payer to fund this. If the referendum fails, they will be forced to sell some and use that money to fix the schools AT NO COST TO THE TAXPAYER.
Don’t forget that not so long ago, a $78 million referendum was passed to upgrade schools. So if they were mismanaged in the past, what guarantee do we have that these $32 mil won’t go to waste?
The Board just put a new turf field last year, and is currently looking to put another turf field probably near Thorne Middle School. Why are we not using that money to fix the schools?
And it won’t end here. The BOE is scheduled to vote on next year’s tax levy and they plan on hitting you with another 2% increase on top of the referendum. They just want your money.
The main argument I see for voting Yes on the Middletown referendum is that there is taxpayer money available to spend, so let’s not miss the opportunity to spend it, even if that means borrowing $19 million more that taxpayers will pay later. Welcome to the Age of Obama. Don’t forget that the state grant money is still our taxpayer money!
I’m voting NO on March 11, and I’d like you to do the same. Your tax dollars are being wasted by a Board of Ed and administration that has no other plan than to spend your hard earned money unnecessarily. It’s time to put a stop to it!
More from my site
8.57% Turnout for Middletown School Borrow and Spend Referendum
Middletown Teacher Who Played Anti-Trump Video In Class Apologizes, Asks Supporters To Stand Down
Dem Freeholder, Surrogate candidates were recruiting interns at Middletown High School North
Middletown Board of Education Member Branded Unethical
Monmouth Democrats threaten to sue over the Middletown High School North story
Hibell Calls Shenanigans On Walsh Abusing Her Board of Education Post, Exploiting Kids
Democrats seek to take over Middletown Board of Education
Middletown Democrat Thugs Vandalize Election Signs 
Monmouth Democrats were invited to campaign at Middletown High School North during school hours
Middletown Has An Outbreak Of Cooperation
I normally am one to vote against the budget because I think the administration is bloated. For this referendum I am voting yes. I am sick and tired of my children in Nut Swamp and Thompson having to worry about being cold or the leaks in the ceilings possibly hurting someone. Thompson on a regular basis has garbage cans collecting water from the leaks, Nut Swamp had a classroom get 2 inches of water just recently and kids having to leave classrooms due to no heat. I’m not looking for an Aquatic Center like Neptune has or a state of the art theater like Long Branch, nope, just heat and hoping nothing falls on my kid’s head from leaks in the ceiling.
I noticed “they” also are using the term “geo-thermal”. I believe that is an attempt to camoflague a “climate change-global warming” initiative which they know would draw immediate flak.
Where is their business play?
Sorry: Where is their business plan?
I too am voting no. The BOE takes in almost $167 million and have gotten increases in state aid the last few years. You mean to tell me they can’t fix a leak in the roof with all of that? I have kids in the schools too, but it hurts the kids if their parents are driven into bankruptcy. VOTE NO FOR KIDS SAKE!
@Here We Go…the Governors first budget basically stole over $400 million in surplus funds of local school districts in order to plug up holes in Trenton’s budget. Believe the number in Middletown was a loss of $2.8 million. That was money that could have been put towards future capital projects and eventually had to/has to be replaced by local taxpayers.
Angry person…not heard of this plan the writer states because they are trying to keep it “secret”? I dont live in the district or even in Monmouth County and I read approx. 3 news stories about this the past week.
[…] resident Chris Fotache countered Brand’s argument in an OpEd on MMM submitted yesterday as the polls opened. Fotache argued that the Board of Ed did not publicize the referendum in […]
@Here We Go….the districts proposed state aid in 2015 is over $3 million less then it received in 2010. 4 our of 5 districts in NJ are in the same situation.