Kids First Conundrum: $59.1 Million Budget "cannot be supported" in 2009 but $64.3 Million Budget Likely to be Approved by All Kids First MembersTonight

Photo Credit: Mark Mauer/The Jersey Journal

Three weeks before the April 21, 2009 Hoboken Board of Education elections, on Tuesday, April 1, 2009, all three member of the Kids First political group who held elected positions on the Hoboken Board of Education voted "no" on a $59.1 million dollar budget proposed by the then superintendent of schools. That budget included the reduction of at least 20 employees which included nurses, clerks, computer technicians, and others. Nonetheless, all three Kids First members (Carrie Gillard, Theresa Minutillo and Rose Markle) opposed the $59.1 million dollar budget. "$59 million is troubling me. We need to revisit this. I cannot support it" said Rose Markle according the the Hoboken Reporter. 

Kids First did very well in that 2009 Board of Education election and swept into majority rule, primarily on a platform of fiscal responsibility- their "NO" votes on the 2009 budget being held as a badge of honor to their supporters as proof of their steadfastness and commitment to cost reduction. 

Tonight, on Wednesday March 27, 2013- a little less than four years later- the Kids First Board of Education will be proposing a budget of $64,300,000.00 for the 2013-2014 school year. All 6 members of Kids First are expected to vote in favor of the budget. 

Furthermore, having requested and received a waiver from the state to exceed a 2% budget cap and having unilaterally decided to take the right to vote on the school budget away from the taxpayers and voters of Hoboken, there will be no public voting on the budget. 



*For an interesting discussion on this topic please click here for a debate on the topic on Hoboken.411. 

  03-27-13 Public Notice of Meeting Budget Session-1

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