Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce says that the state’s new education aid formula is a step in the right direction, but it is does not go far enough to address the heavy education financing burden shouldered by suburban taxpayers — and in some instances — it is punishing taxpayers living in no growth Highlands areas.

In particular, DeCroce (R-Morris, Essex, Passaic) noted two municipalities in her district West Milford and Jefferson will lose more than $13.5 million in school aid combined under the new state formula. She said she will work to address that shortfall through future legislation.

“While most of the municipalities in my district will see modest increases in state aid, the two Highlands communities will be negatively impacted under the new aid formula and that’s not acceptable to me,” said DeCroce.

The assemblywoman said that because both Jefferson and West Milford are under the land use restrictions of the Highlands Act to preserve sensitive open space in watershed areas, neither municipality has the ability to substantially grow its tax base. Without opportunities of economic growth to offset the loss of state aide, homeowners in the two towns will suffer economically, she says.

“The new education funding formula is unfair to the taxpayers in Jefferson and West Milford who saw their property devalued by the Highlands Act. They never received fair compensation for their sacrifices to protect open space and water quality and now they are suffering further economic harm by losing state education aid under this new, but still flawed, formula,” said DeCroce.

The assemblywoman said she will draft legislation to compensate Highlands communities for the loss of education aid. “The Highlands communities are already paying a large price for the state’s open space policy; the new education formula fails to take into consideration the tax burden that Highlands property owners have been shouldering for years and I will work to address that.”

Jefferson’s state education aid for FY-2018 totals $15.8 million, which is used to support a $42 million school budget. The township will lose $6.5 million in school aid under the new funding formula.

West Milford received $14.6 million in the school aid in current fiscal year to offset costs in its $54 million school budget . The township will suffer a loss of $7 million in education aid – losing almost have its state support for education.

TAX RELIEF NEEDED

While the new state education aid formula provides increases to many municipalities in her district they are not enough to bring meaningful tax relief to working families, said DeCroce.

“Taxpayers in my district are still financing a far larger share of school costs through local property taxes than taxpayers in other municipalities – and that fundamental unfairness has to be addressed soon,” added DeCroce.